Age is Just a Number

I had an appointment with the physical therapist today. While checking in, the receptionist and I had a nice chat. She was from Alabama and me from Texas, so we shared our thoughts on living in the winter freeze of Illinois. In the midst of our conversation, this nice woman talked about a young lady she knew who avoided the cold because of owning two homes...one in a warmer state and the other in our cold state of Illinois. The receptionist stressed that this woman was very young, not even close to our age. An image came to mind of someone in her 20's or 30's, till the receptionist added, "She's only in her 50's, though maybe a little more." As I remembered her saying how she was not even close to our age, I thought, "I'm in my 50's too...how old do I look...84???!!  That old woman (I say that with a smile) hurt me to my inner core (not really). Nothing like pumping a girl up mentally before the physical therapist beats her down physically. ;-)

There are many days when I do look older than I actually am. Obviously today was one of them! But on days like this, when I'm looking my, or someone else's, age, I try to laugh; and then hope tomorrow, I'll only look 24. :-) I sometimes look older because I'm not in a good place mentally...feeling down. On other days, it might be because I didn't take great care in presenting how I look, I dressed too down. Either way, I have to remember that no matter what age I look, or what age I actually am, it's only a number. It doesn't define what's inside of me or who I am.

Right now, my body says I'm sixty, but mentally it feels as if it's only 35 years that I've been around. That could just mean I don't act my age, and that's true a lot when no one else can be found. :-) In the end though, age doesn't really matter. What's important is how I, and God, feels about what's inside me. God in me is something age can't steal.