Rolling right along with today's letter of the day...
O is for oxymoron
'a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction;
a self-contradicting word or group of words'
Let's talk about aging gracefully. Is that phrase an oxymoron? From the moment we're born we're all growing older, we just seem to remark on it in a more negative way after a certain point on the birthday timeline.
So what does it mean to age gracefully? There are of course the obvious things we all know to do like eat right, drink lots of water, exercise, and get enough sleep, but what about the less obvious, but equally important habits we need to cultivate if we want to live a grace-ful life?
There are traits I associate with the term, and also with women I know who I think are aging gracefully, that I want reflected in my own life as I lean into this third act. Here's some of what I've observed and also what I aspire to...
have a positive outlook
laugh a lot
forgive easily
stay curious about the world around me
be gentle in speech and action
live with an open heart and open hand
stay grounded
be humble
self-aware
accepting of change
grateful
Easier said than done some days, but I'm still a work in progress.
I read somewhere the opposite of aging gracefully would be aging poorly or prematurely, which I don't think anyone aspires to yet many end up doing just that. I like having this list written down. It's a visual reminder every day is a gift and I get to choose how I live it.
'Teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.' Psalm 90:12
