Age is only a number

I spent the day with my grandmother on Saturday. It was her 91^st birthday. She looks good for her age. She has always looked after her skin and stayed out of the sun. She was a yoga lover and has passed this passion onto me.

 

My dad, auntie and I took her out for lunch to celebrate. As we were eating away, Nanna asked me if I would take her to Yoga with me. I nearly choked! I bluntly said, “no”. She then said defiantly she would take herself. I then explained that she hadn’t done yoga for years. About 20 to be exact. I also explained that no instructor would teach her as their insurance wouldn’t cover it.

I did admire Nanna. After two knee reconstructions, being legally blind and at the age of 91, she wants to do Yoga. Clearly her mind is strong and willing. But her body simply isn’t?

 

Every day of our lives we age just a little bit more. But it’s only a number. It shouldn’t define whether we can or can’t do something. It shouldn’t mean we are supposed to have done something or be at a certain point. It is simply a number which quite factually tells us how many years we have been on this earth.

I get frustrated when people state their age and then loudly complain of all the pains and aches as if they should have those given their age. If you let your age be a mental roadblock you’ll miss out on being in the moment. You’ll miss out on having fun.

As we travel along our life journey, we need to take what experiences are given to us, enjoy them and learn from them. Age doesn’t define where we should be or what we should be doing. We just need to do whatever makes us happy at whatever point that is. Sometimes our journey takes us to places and experiences we never thought we would ready for, no matter what our age.

It’s easy for people to say at 37 I should be married with children. I’m not. I’m not even close. I’m not worried because I’m quite content with where I am in my life. If it happens, then wonderful, if not, then it wasn’t meant to be. I’ll just take the road and see where it takes me.

Nanna wasn’t going to let her age stop her from doing something she was once so passionate about. Maybe I was ageist because I wouldn’t take her. The pot calling the kettle black.

Tell me, have you let age hold you back? Does age define you?

Jen xoxo