Every day I tell my cat, “We are two old souls living together and thanking God for our blessings.” It’s easy to look at Templeton and see how the years have changed him. As for me, I dread looking in the mirror. Who is that person staring back at me? Certainly not the person I feel I am! It’s a little depressing to see what others see when I’m with them. They can’t see the real person. Not the one who knows life is eternal.

I’m still a person who wants to do all the things I used to do. But when I’m with my children, especially when they are being my transportation, I feel like an old woman. I even talk and react like an old woman. Why? Because I see who I used to be in them…in their lives.rLiving alone it’s easy to forget how much I’ve changed. I still manage to accomplish what needs to be done, and I look at the results with a happy heart. I talk mostly in my mind, sometimes writing the words on paper or on this blank white computer screen. This is my life now. And it’s good.

When I’m with my friends of a similar age, I can be myself and feel comfortable. We have things in common. We can share our feelings, things we don’t always share with our children. I remember calling my mom and talking to her. I’d share what was happening in my life and she’d share from her life. I didn’t know the people she talked about she thought I should remember. Once after dad passed, she said to me, “You don’t have to call me every night.” I will never forget that moment. I was trying to keep her uplifted, but I suppose she knew that and my calls were simply a reminder she was alone and she was old. One of the things I did was criticize what she chose to eat for dinner. Now I understand.

Our lives change constantly and one day each of us will be faced with the reality that we are older than we think. I’m still living a happy life. I’m still grateful for each day. I love God. I love learning. I just wish my mind could accept the changes in the mirror! Lifting my cup of tea and wishing all of you a day to remember to let the beauty inside shine through the outer layers of your life, no matter your physical age.