Getting older is a funny thing. When you're younger, you think 40 sounds old. Then you get 40 and you realize you were clearly very confused. And somewhere along the way, birthdays start coming around a whole lot faster than they used to. 
There are definitely things about aging that I could do without. The random aches and pains, needing reading glasses to see a menu, and realizing that staying up too late and requires a recovery period all come to mind. But there are also some really good things about getting older.
You know yourself better. You care a little less about what everybody else thinks. You start figuring out what-- and who -- is actually worth your time. And hopefully, you begin to realize that aging well isn't really about trying to stay young. It's about taking care of this life you have right now.
So instead of talking about wrinkle creams, gray hairs, or trying to turn back the clock, I thought I'd share four ways we can age well-- body, mind, heart, and soul.
- 1. Take Care of Your Body
- I'm not talking about trying to fit into the jeans you wore when you were 22. Honestly, some things are better left in the past, and low-rise jeans (even if they may be having a bit of a moment right now) may be one of them!
- Taking care of our bodies as we get older looks a little different. It becomes less about the number on the scale and more about feeling good, staying strong, and being able to do the things we want to do.
- Walk. Lift some weights. Drink your water. Eat foods that make you fell good most of the time (and eat the birthday cake too!)
- Get enough sleep. Keep your doctor's appointments and don't put off those screenings just because they're inconvenient.
- Our bodies have carried us through a lot of life. They've raised babies, worked long days, survived sleepless nights, hauled groceries, chased kids and grandkids, and gotten us through some pretty hard times.
- Taking care of them now isn't vanity. It's gratitude.
2. Keep Learning New Things
One of the quickest ways to start feeling old might be deciding you're too old
to try anything new.
Read the book. Take the trip. Learn how to use the new app even though you'd
really prefer they stop changing where all the buttons are. Try a new recipe. Pick up a hobby. Listen to music you've never heard before. Talk to people
who aren't exactly like you.
Stay curious.
There is still so much to learn, no matter how many birthdays we've
celebrated. And don't convince yourself that you've missed your chance to do
something. People start businesses, go back to school, learn new skills,
change careers, travel, write books, start blogs, and discover things they love
at every age.
You aren't finished becoming who you're going to be!
3. Invest in the People Who Matter
The older I get, the more I realize that time really is one of our most valuable
possessions.
And I don't want to spend all of mine trying to keep up with people who
wouldn't notice if I disappeared for six months. Aging well means learning
where to invest your time and your heart.
Call your mama. Have dinner with your grown kids. Get down in the floor and play with the grandkids even if getting backup isn't quite as graceful as it used
to be. Make plans with your friends instead of saying, "We really need to get
together sometime" for the next three years.
And at the same time, give yourself permission to stop chasing relationships
that are completely one sided. You don't need a hundred people in your circle.
You need people you can laugh with and cry with, pray with, and call when life
gets hard.
Love your people well.
4. Let Your Faith Grow Deeper
Of all the things I hope to improve with age, I hope my faith is at the top of the
list. I don't want to simply grow older. I want to grow wiser.
I want to worry less because I've seen God provide before. I want to trust Him
more because I've watched Him carry me through things I once thought would
break me. I want to recognize His goodness in ordinary days instead of always
waiting for something big to happen.
There is something beautiful about a woman who has walked with God for
years. And I come from a long legacy of that.
She doesn't have to know all the answers. In fact, she probably realizes more
than ever that she doesn't. But she knows Who does.
And as we get older, we have something younger women desperately need:
experience. We've lived through heartbreaks, disappointments, answered
prayers, unanswered prayers, parenting seasons, marriage seasons, losses,
victories, and plenty of mistakes.
Titus 2 talks about older women teaching and encouraging younger women.
That doesn't mean we have to have everything figured out. It simply means we
can take what God has taught us and use it to encourage someone coming
along behind us.
That's a pretty beautiful way to grow older.
Maybe aging well isn't about staying young. The world spends a lot of time telling women how not to look their age.
Cover this. Fix this. Smooth this out. Dye that gray hair. Buy the cream. Try the treatment. And there is nothing wrong with enjoying skincare, makeup, cute clothes, or getting your hair done. I certainly don't plan on giving those things up anytime soon.
But I don't want to become so busy trying to not to look older that I forget what a privilege it is to actually get older. There are people who would have given anything for one more birthday.
So maybe aging well isn't about desperately hold onto who we used to be. Maybe it's about becoming stronger, wiser, kinder, more confident, more grateful, and more grounded in our faith with every year we're given. And don't spend the second half of your life mourning the first half.
There is still a lot of living left to do! Happy Friday friends!!
Much Love,
Beth
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