SEVEN FOR YOU â—½ TIPS
My Age
Our Panel of Women
What’s your age? Most women don’t want to be asked that question, so I hear. But why not? Certainly, there are things about every age that are awesome…and things that are not so awesome…and why not embrace both? We asked our panel of women to share the perks of the age they are now…as well as the struggles. It’s such an interesting read, always…and we even had a 12-year old weigh in with her thoughts!​
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I’m reminded of the Beatles song “When I’m 64.” I passed that age three years ago, but some of the lyrics still speak to me. I now have that song stuck in my head….darn it!
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“Will you still need me, will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty four?”
Will I still be needed? Am I still important to someone? One of my worries
The other is failing health. I spend my time going to doctors more than I’d like. My daughter called me one of the most resilient people she knows. I do try to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.
The positive outweighs the negative:
I stopped coloring my hair 10 years ago. It’s a blessing to age, and I’ve earned every one of my grey hairs.
I’m retired, and I love the fact that I can lounge the day away if I want. I do need to buy those “days of the week” underwear, so I remember what day it is.
I love being able to visit my Mom whenever I want, spend time with my dog, Tazzie, and shop at Goodwill during their senior day sale (30% off).
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We have more of our past behind us than our future days, so making the most of the time we have is important. I hope you dance! I will. – Cathy
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My favorite thing about being the age that I am (68), is that I don’t feel my age! I also have more confidence in the things that I do and feel that I can do almost anything. I am physically fit and healthy, I am told I don’t look my age, and I am thankful that I still have my mother, and that with God’s will, I will live as long as she!
My least favorite thing about being my age is that, because I had a late start in the work field, I still need to go back to work to build up my retirement. I am in competition with much younger generations. It’s very difficult to come to the realization that your time on this earth is limited and there’s still so much I want to do! – Anita
My favorite thing about this season of life is having time. For decades it seemed marriage, kids, job, church, and personal growth loudly demanded my time and attention. It was always a challenge to keep the plates spinning. Now, several of those areas are quieter and/or out of my control. There is more time and space for the areas that remain. It is a great season to be in.
My least favorite thing about this season is watching my 99-year-old mother decline. She is still amazing, especially for 99, but the years are catching up with her. It’s hard for both of us to watch her vitality drain away. But she loves the Lord and we both know he is the one that numbers her days. Her future is in his hands. - Shelley
I am 49 years old. My favorite thing about my age is that 2/3 of my children are at the age that I can be friends with them, and my mom is alive and healthy (she lives with us.) My least favorite thing about being 49 is perimenopause (I have NO NICE WORDS) and that my children have not gotten married and had babies yet. I'm 49 and still learning patience. They are still very young (22 and 26); I just LOVE babies. And I'm still praying that God sends them the right spouses just for them, because they are AMAZING human beings. I think it's important to choose JOY at any age, so I'm choosing JOY at 49. - Laura
I'm 68 years old and have never understood why women don't want to tell their age. It's a privilege to be alive at any age, so the fact that I'm still here breathing and moving is a perk, for sure! I think the best part of being the age I am is that I'm finally letting go of some expectations of others that I put on them and learning to live life more fully, with Him as my affirmation. That's been awesome. And...I love the flexibility that allows us to travel often, to visit fun places and see new things.
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My parents are both gone and while that's so sad, it's also a relief to be at the end of watching them decline in health and mind.
As far as the hard part of being my age, it's the aging process itself. I feel like I'm on a hard road to try to stay flexible and sharp, and some days I keep a good pace on that road...and other days I just want to sit down! It's also hard to feel like what I say and do matters, and does anyone notice or care? But that goes back to the affirmation I'm now finding in my purpose in Him, in daily obedience to love Him and love others - purpose enough for years to come. And it's a reminder I have to tell myself at least once a day! – Marcy
As I rapidly approach 65, I am reminded of how much I have found my health change in the last year. Multiple wrinkles have appeared that I don’t recall being there a year ago. So at this age, I find myself struggling with these new changes quite a bit. On the flip side, I love how I don’t worry as much about the small things and cherish those beautiful moments in each day that come my way by God’s grace. Like the last Super Moon in December that glowed so brightly in the night sky and precious moments in nature with my 23 month old grandson. So much to be thankful for as I age. In this New Year, I plan to be grateful for each precious day I’m given and also to remember that it’s a privilege to be this age. - Glenna
I’m 38 years old, and I don’t feel like I necessarily struggle yet with aging. But for me, the things I don’t like are the energy level required with busy kids. I get tired in a different way than I did when they were little. Deeper and harder moments with the kids require teaching and instruction. Mentally, the exhaustion is hard, and I don’t feel like I bounce back as quickly. I then sometimes feel sick and it takes days to feel better! It’s also harder to lose weight and get in shape if you don’t stay in a rhythm. I also feel more emotional with kids at their ages when they don’t need me in the same way as they did. It’s a hard season to find my own footing and grounding, as a mom.
The thing I love at this age is that even with emotional times, and more years of walking with the Lord, this has enabled me to take thoughts captive more quickly and turn myself around. I’ve enjoyed this age with the kids because we get to experience new things like traveling, conversations, etc. This year I got to do a lot of mom/daughter things and it’s been vital to our relationship. I love this stage with the boys, too, and being able to support them. It’s so fun to see my kids grow and become fruitful. It’s a stage of parenting I’m enjoying. I often feel refreshed and renewed as my kids apply what they have learned.
The last thing, is thinking about the future is scary when I think about kids driving and going to college, where will I be? So that’s hard…and exciting. I try to soak up all the good things at all the ages, and I’m grateful for the ages we all are. I’m trusting Him and thankful for Him as our anchor - Kamrin
I love being sixty-four years old. I don’t have the same busy schedule I did when we were raising our kids, but I still stay busy with them and their kids. I feel blessed to have enough energy to do this. They all keep me active attending sports games, ballet recitals, choir concerts, along with swimming, fishing, and playing games. Then, I go home to recuperate. Which leads to another favorite of mine for this age. Not every day but every day that I can, I take a lunch break on my couch and watch a movie. My husband and I like different kinds of movies so at lunchtime when he’s at work I watch what I want. This refreshes me and gives me a little extra rest. And I usually do end up having a cat nap during these breaks.
But being sixty-four does have its disadvantages. I find some things I used to do are physically harder now. My fingers don’t grasp like they used to, so I tend to drop things more and I’m not as quick grabbing them as they fall. Because of this, I’ve decided that gravity is not my friend anymore. It surprises me how far down things can fall sometimes before they come to a halt, especially in places like the closet when you’re trying to get something off a top shelf. But there’s nothing I can do to change this, so I just chuckle to myself, get off the stool, and contort myself to reach behind wherever it fell to get it. I’m sure it’s yoga that keeps me able to do this. And I’m always thankful for that. - Carole
The thing about being 12 is you’re not young- but you’re not old. I will say it’s great for theater. I do theater year round. Being young and small means I can get younger roles, but because I’m a little older I have more experience. So I have more opportunities in the ensemble. I also like being this age because when I hang out with friends we can go do more and do stuff by ourselves, because we’re a little older and are trusted with more responsibilities.
The hard thing about this age is there is a lot of school work, and you’re encouraged to try new things, but have no time because there is too much work. You’re overly exhausted, but teachers don’t understand why, even though it’s because we have to stay up late doing their homework. You just want to have free time and hang out with friends, but instead you have to do all that work in your free time.
Also another thing I enjoy about being 12 is I can start leading by example. I have younger cousins, and I want to make sure there is always someone they can look up to. When I do get older I want to be able to take them to do a bunch of fun things. And at theater and cheer, I don’t want beginners or newcomers to feel out of place or lost. I want to be welcoming to them, and if they have a problem they can come to me. - Ayla