Love, Laugh and Enjoy

As people age so many become cynical, suspicious, grumpy and a bit critical.

They tend to look at the world and all that surrounds them through skeptical, judgmental lenses. They become cantankerous and cease to enjoy the world around them. How sad.

Age should cause us to take in, appreciate and enjoy the world around us and those we come in contact with. Older people should stay a bit contemporary in thought while meshing wisdom with the reality of their age. Youth is fun and age is stability -- what a wonderful combination.

If only we adults could look at the world through the eyes of a child, we would be more accepting of the things that are important.

We adults become demanding. Things desired become essential. We judge prematurely as our eyes lie to us. When did we graduate to the point we need a referee to settle the argument between innocence and rebuke? Our fault-finding and criticism replaces admiration and respect and we often become what we detest.

Our granddaughter, Hanna, loves to go with her mother to yard sales. She proudly states that's where she acquired a cute little outfit I complimented her on. Many adults would hide the fact their purchase was found anywhere besides a high-price department store. Why do we let pride replace innocence?

One day Hanna's grandpa, Bill, and I had her out for an outing. We pulled into a parking space and Bill jumped out to go in the store. Hanna and I were enjoying our time together and I noticed a rather cluttered looking vehicle parked beside us.

"Me like that truck," Hanna's words jumped out and grabbed me.

Surprised that she had noticed the unkempt vehicle, I asked, "You do, why do you like it?"

"Me just do," she stated.

I begin to try and see what she saw in the truck with a multitude of items hanging from the rear view mirror. It looked littered and untidy through my eyes. But, I decided through Hanna's eyes she was intrigued by the very colorful items that I saw as clutter. What is debris in the eyes of an adult is a treasure in the eyes of a child.

Then I looked around at the untidy interior of my own vehicle and wondered how another older adult might judge me because of my messy van.

We adults often find irrational reasons for judging, and complicated reasons for liking things or people. Children don't need complex reasons for enjoying or loving.

We adults seem to have to seek reasons to love and to appreciate. Children just do.

Maturity should bring with it lessons learned, but often wisdom is seen in the heart of a child.

We often don't see ourselves as we appear. As age has come upon me, I realize that fact even more. I don't see myself as the mirror reflects or as my birthdays confirm. But, one Sunday morning a little child validated the fact that I had arrived at "old age."

Going from the parking lot into church recently one Sunday morning, a little boy walked up beside me as I rode on my jazzy motorized wheel-chair. I'm sure, I correctly understood the little fellow as he called me an "old lady."

I thought to myself as he uttered those words, well Betty, you better just face it -- those words are coming from the innocence of a child. He sees you as you are -- not how you feel, how you once were, or how you wish you could be.

So keep in mind, wisdom isn't necessarily only seen in the elderly, so don't miss seeing it in the young. Fun isn't reserved only for youth -- so love, laugh, and enjoy life as you age, and remember to look for wisdom in the heart of a child.

~ Betty King ~

Betty King is a life Style and devotional newspaper columnist, an author of the following four books: It Takes Two Mountains to Make a Valley, But - It Was in the Valleys I Grew, The Fragrance of Life and Safe and Secure in the Palm of His Hand. Betty is a frequent contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a variety of other publications. She has lived with the disease multiple sclerosis for over forty years. Visit her website at http://www.bettyking.net or email her at baking2@charter.net .

[ by: Betty King Copyright 2007 (baking2@charter.net) -- {used with permission} ]