I\u2019ve waited 70 years to write this.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right: today I\u2019m officially 70 years old!<\/p>\n

I think most of us get nostalgic on our birthday, especially when it heralds another decade. One of my classmates from high school sent out a group message a few months ago stating that this was our big year. Several responses ensued, but my favorite one said, \u201cI didn\u2019t know 70 would be this much fun!\u201d That\u2019s the attitude I like.<\/p>\n

I might have caught this attitude from my mom and dad, but I\u2019ve always thought young. My parents always associated with younger people. Just as they did, we have dear and treasured friends who are in our same season of life, and we love and appreciate them. But more often we keep company with younger ones. That\u2019s partly because our contemporaries are doing the same thing. Our sons and their wives are our favorite companions, and their friends become our friends. We\u2019re just thankful we can relate to them and vice versa.<\/p>\n

Several years ago I came across an article on aging in a newspaper. At the time, it didn\u2019t occur to me to document the newspaper source, but I did save the article. I remember making a mental note to myself that when I \u201cbecame of age,\u201d it summarized the attitudes I wanted to have. I\u2019m going to share what was written in the article, the title of which is \u201cLearned Lady Tells How to Grow Old Gracefully.\u201d Here goes.<\/p>\n

\n
• When you are young, find out what qualities in old people are admired by the young. Remember them.<\/li>\n
• Never praise the good old days. Live in the present.<\/li>\n
• Learn early in life how to be well-balanced emotionally, how to control anger. Oldsters who aren\u2019t upset by unpleasant events, who can deal with crisis wisely, are sought out by young people as sources of advice and strength.<\/li>\n
• Keep alive intellectually. This means not only reading and other cultural activities but maintaining a lively interest in all things going on around you.<\/li>\n
• Maintain strict adherence to principles of personal hygiene. Neat personal appearance and good table manners make oldsters attractive to the younger generation.<\/li>\n
• Lay a groundwork early in life. You can\u2019t be a pleasant old man or woman unless you cultivate these qualities long before you grow old. They don\u2019t come naturally with age.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
  The last point probably encapsulates the entire message. Grumpy old people were probably grumpy young people at one time. (Wink!)<\/div>\n

  <\/div>\n

  Well, this post must end at this point. I have to shop for a new outfit (not for me\u2026for Hubby!) to wear for our dinner date tomorrow night with the family\u2014all our sons and wives\u2014 and our two-night stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown Atlanta. And I must get my nails done, right?<\/div>\n

  Altogether, it\u2019s going to be a wonderful, precious, memorable time with my all-time faves<\/b>!<\/div>\n

  <\/div>\n

  So, the question still begs to be answered. Is seventy the new fifty? By the end of this year, I might be qualified to answer that!<\/p>\n

  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

   <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  I\u2019ve waited 70 years to write this. That\u2019s right: today I\u2019m officially 70 years old! I think most of us get nostalgic on our birthday, especially when it heralds another decade. One of my classmates from high school sent out a group message a few months ago stating that this was our big year. Several […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[32],"tags":[72],"yoast_head":"\n