This image and quote is from my Calm App. Every day there is a Daily Calm meditation that I try to always do, and at the end it has a quote that you can share. Today’s Daily Calm subject was on aging. I love this quote, and I really want to fold it into my existence.

I’m 52 years old, which is still pretty young, but is creeping up. I always used to say, “I know I’m 25” or 35 or 45, “but I still feel like a kid.” And I did, for a long long time. I did not really start to feel my age until pretty recently, within the last couple of years, when a couple of things began to happen. First, menopause (hoorah!), second, my back problems, which I’ve had for a long time, got bad enough that I had to have 3 surgeries. Third, my knees have begun to be creaky and sore in the mornings. And finally it really hit home when got a job working with high school kids. I was the “old one”, which I tried to combat by being cool and doing things like dying my hair purple (I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with that). They pretty much loved me, though. I am a good listener, and willing to take time to really get to know the kids. They came to me for advice. I was like a “cool mom” to them, I think. Anyhow, that’s how they treated me to my face. Who knows, behind my back they could have been exasperated with me. One of the reasons I decided to retire was that feeling of being the “old one.” It was just no longer the job for me.

Anyhow, I want to say, like in the quote, “I want to be your friend” to my aging body. I want to treat it right, as one would a friend, listen to it’s complaints patiently and nourish it with healthy food. I want to take it for walks, take long luxurious baths, and lavish it with love and unguents and vitamins. I think it’s about time. I spent so many years abusing it, both by torturing it with poor food and no exercise, or extreme yo-yo dieting, and despising it. Poor thing, it really deserves better. The fasting 16:8 is a good first step. I feel really good, because I’m giving my body time to rest and rejuvenate, and then when I eat it’s healthy (and delicious) fare. I am also giving myself permission to enjoy treats sometimes, like the lemon cake I baked today. I had a small piece, and ate it slowly and savored every bite.

With luck, I am about half way through with my life, and I want to look forward with excitement and anticipation. It’s not too late.