“Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.”  ~Garson Kanin

“Everyone is the age of their heart.”  ~Guatemalan Proverb

There are many quotes about aging, but these are two of my favorites. Aging is a topic that gets constant attention, and rightfully so. It is a condition that applies to everyone.  Although articles and television programs about aging often refer to people over the age of 40, it is a condition that begins at birth. At the moment a baby comes into this world, the aging process begins – the clock is ticking.

Since aging is inevitable, it is wise to face it with a positive attitude.  As Mark Twain wrote, “Age is an issue of mind over matter.  If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”

Each season brings with it new opportunities, and new challenges.  I try to roll with the punches and take every season of life in stride.  However, I have found that aging can be quite humbling. My husband and I had one of those humbling experiences recently. Here’s what happened:

We work out at our health club several times each week. While driving home after one of those workouts, we noticed that there was a power outage in our neighborhood. So instead of going home, we decided to have dinner at a nearby restaurant. We were seated at a nice table and began to enjoy the delicious aromas that were emanating from the kitchen. The waiter greeted us warmly, brought us ice water and handed us menus; that’s when it hit us. We had no reading glasses, so neither one of us could read the menu! The fact that the restaurant was dimly lit did not help at all. We knew we had to come up with a game plan. Since the tiny print on the men was completely illegible we thought we’d just order by looking at the pictures. But we soon realized that was not the wisest thing to do. For example, one picture had something yellow. But it could have been any number of dishes; polenta, quiche or scrambled eggs. While we struggled the waiter came to take our order, but we managed to put him off by asking for more water and lemon wedges.  Then it was back to the menu to look at more pictures. We found something red and white that could have been spaghetti marinara or strawberry shortcake.  Either way, we weren’t ready to commit.  Of course we continued to smile as if lingering over the menu was an indication of our gourmet tastes. You see, in these humbling situations, image is everything.

Finally my husband came up with an idea that was pure genius.  We’d call our son and invite him to join us. We knew he’d be available. After all, young men are always hungry and ready for a free meal. He could read the menu and our evening would be saved. When the waiter came by a 3rd time to take our order, we assured him that we were waiting for another member of our party. Our son arrived quickly, helped us order and a delicious meal was enjoyed by all.  We learned that what we’d lost in eyesight we’d gained in ingenuity.

So although aging can be humbling, it isn’t the end of the world. You’ve just got to keep in perspective. Don’t laugh; you’re older now than when you began reading this blog. It’s all relative…