This year on Groundhog Day, February second, 2012, I turned seventy-four. You might think that would be cause for distress, but on the contrary, I love this phase of my life. The hectic hustle and bustle of youth has past, and I have settled into a familiar lifestyle which is as comfortable as an old shoe. I notice many of my contemporaries are fighting old age with a vengeance. Not me. I intend to sit back and enjoy every minute of it. When I count my blessings these days, I discover they are many.
* I don't have to earn a living anymore. I have a pension which allows me to live comfortably, not in the lap of luxury of course, but comfortably. I don't buy lottery tickets because I might win, and all that money would bring added responsibilities and problems. Who needs it?
* My children have grown up, are earning a living and leading respectable lives. I have two of the sweetest grandchildren anyone could wish for. Oh all right. Sometimes I wish I had more than two, but I'll settle for quality, rather than quantity.
* I love the freedom that goes with being in one's seventies. You can do almost anything you want. The worst that can happen is that people will think you're senile. I write "Letters to the Editor", which I never dared do before. Who cares if the neighbors see them? Employers' possible criticisms are no longer a consideration.
* One of the greatest blessings in my life at the moment is the computer. I have access to the world without stepping outside my front door. There are so many interesting sites to investigate, I'll never run out if I live to be a thousand. And, those survey companies are anxious to have my opinion on everything from soup to nuts. I may become the world's oldest computer addict!
*If I have any physical complaints, everybody really listens. They no longer automatically write me off as a hypochondriac.
*I've given myself permission to become spoiled. If I want to stay home on cold winter days, I will. If I want to stay up late to write or watch a good movie, and then sleep in until noon next day, I will. Some days I even have ice cream for breakfast.
* I'm finding it much easier to say "No", to people the last few years, when I really don't want to do something they suggest. Since I probably have only a few years left, I don't intend to waste time engaging in activities I don't enjoy.
* I live for today. No one on this earth knows for sure what tomorrow will bring. When I look back on my life, I can see that God had a plan, and it was fulfilled, though there were many detours and setbacks along the way. Often I couldn't sense His presence, but He was always there. Because of His unfailing faithfulness, I trust Him implicitly with all my tomorrows and with my destination for Eternity.
This, then, is my life at seventy-four. I'm having a lovely, interesting time. I wouldn't want to repeat my youthful years for anything. My motto of choice for this time of life is: "Relax, go with the flow, trust the Lord, and don't be afraid to have a little fun!"
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