.jpg)
GROWING YOUNGER
By: Joseph J. Mazzella
I was about to shave this morning when I caught my
reflection
in the mirror. There was no doubt about it. My body was growing
older. My formerly thick
hair which used to be brown with a touch
of gray was now gray with a touch of brown. It was hard
to see on
top too with little of it left there. My forehead wrinkles had become
permanent
and when I smiled a hundred more curled up around my
eyes and mouth. I thought about letting my
beard grow for a second
but didn’t really want to look like Santa Claus. When I stepped back
I could see I had gotten chunkier as well because while my
metabolism had slowed my eating
hadn’t. My muscles also tended to
be achier and my body creakier. And the file clerk in my
mind seemed
to be misplacing things a lot more often. I was even thinking of writing
stuff down more so I could remember what I came into a room for.
In spite of it all, though,
when I looked in the mirror again I caught a
sparkle in my eyes. I smiled and felt a joy in my
heart. I knew that
no matter what my reflection looked like, my soul was forever young.
The truth is while I have been steadily growing
older on the outside
I have for a while now been growing younger on the inside. I can
remember how serious,
stressed, and worried I was in my twenties
and thirties. I often felt like the weight of the world
was on my
shoulders. Now at fifty three my heart feels lighter and my days look
brighter. I feel
like a true “Child” of God free to laugh, to sing, to
dance, to love, and to help others do the
same. I worry less and
smile more. I have a lot more faith and a lot less fear. I let my
love
lead me and face the pains and problems of this world with the
loving-kindness of the next.
In the end all of our bodies will wear
out and die, but WE won’t.
Our young souls will go on forever. Spend your days growing younger
then. Let the child
within you live and love.
No comments:
Post a Comment