AGING IS LOSS

As one who has always valued learning, I am finding that middle age is a great teacher.  It's amazing how prejudiced our American society is against those who are not young and beautiful.  But, if we're lucky, sooner or later, we will all get old (er) and the older we get, the more we are capable of seeing that nothing is permanent. How short life is!  We are almost forced to look inward, as we experience our bodies decline.  If you were to ask an older person (and by older, I mean middle aged onward), how old he/she felt in his/her heart, I'll bet they would say "25 or 35" or something similar.  So, remember this the next time you see an older person.  On the outside, to you, he/she may look one age, but on the inside, he/she feels totally different. Know this, too: when he/she looks in his/her own mirror, he/she sees someone totally different than what is being reflected back.  Older citizens have alot to teach YOU, if you would only open your heart.  That may be you one day.