Are you old?

At tonight’s Friday Night Thought-tale hour at the Henderson’s, we are considering a sobering thought that came to me by way of one of the wonderful people I get the pleasure of serving as part of my employment.  A young man with Autism looked at me this week, and with unfiltered abandon asked me, “Are you old?”… While his reason’s were not what I initially suspected, (the light was revealing heavy wrinkles…I need to color my grays) it still led me to consider how I felt about the answer, and what it means in this age of worshiping youthful vitality.  Do I think I am old?  How does that change how I live my life and interact with others?  Is it a flaw that I strive to cover, or a crown that I wear with pride?  

It starts with how we look at the term, "old".  

Is old the opposite of new, or is it the opposite of young?   Does it matter if we believe that old is not a state of being but rather a state of mind?  We appreciate the new and the young things in our lives, and we cherish the well seasoned and established too. The older something is, the more that it carries the experiences and memories which make our lives fuller and enhanced.  When I questioned the young man who asked me whether I was old regarding why he wanted to know, his again unfiltered response was, ‘because I don't want you to die’.  Life has taught me that death is not a respecter of age, but it is true that my most treasured possessions are the most worn. I care for them with delicacy because I want them to last.  He wants me to last, but he can see that I am older. But little does he know that the beauty of old is not a function of age or even ability. I can see old in his eyes, and I can see old in the eyes of my very young grandchildren.  Oldness understands.  Oldness brings insight.  Oldness brings calm.  

Oldness is unchangeable, and in a good way.

We live in a time where people cover over their physical oldness because it’s not seen as pleasing to show the natural degeneration of our bodily form, as we see weakness and frailty in oldness.  But it is the hidden that awaits relevance when we are asked ‘are you old?’ Our inner oldness is the collection we have within our soul of experience producing wisdom and the ability to help others because of that gathering.   So as you're reading this, regardless of whether you would be considered youthful, young, new or well-preserved, look inside yourself and I invite you to embrace the oldness that is within you as a glorious thing. Go ahead and cover your grays and conceal on your scars or wrinkles, but don't cover up the wisdom and good understanding of the experiences you have within you.  They just might keep you from repeating history that you want to avoid. 

Am I old? Yes, thankfully, I am. 

So tonight, join us as we toast together our oldness.  We are drinking something called, “The Classic”.  It will relax our aged muscles, life is too short not to enjoy these moments together, for we know that these bodies, while not THAT old, will not endure forever.  That is an understanding that comes from our old souls.  CHEERS FRIENDS! 

The Classic

1 part cognac

1/4 part fresh lemon juice
1/4 part maraschino liqueur
1 part Cointreau

Shake with ice.  Rim a cooled cocktail glass with lemon and dip in powdered sugar. Strain in mixture. Add a cherry on a stick or other garnish as desired.