Happy St. Patrick's Day

Today is my friend Bob's birthday; for so many years we had birthday parties together because we are the same age; only 11 days apart. Maybe we'll throw a big one for our 6oth in three years!

It's strange to see yourself and your friends getting old. For a long time I didn't really see myself aging very much. I mean, there were little signs; my skin wasn't as firm, I began to get those jowly things at my jawline, etc. But during my fifties, I feel like I have really gotten older.

But, I don't really care that much. I still feel the same as I did when I were a child. And if I feel that way, I think that probably everyone else feels that way too. We see ourselves as we feel and then we look in the mirror and it's shocking...who is that person looking back?

I know my gray hair makes me look older. There are certain people who will remain nameless who want me to color it; they are mostly my age or near it. I think by looking at me with gray hair, they feel older so it makes them uncomfortable. Or they just think that gray hair makes me look just OLD. But, this is the color hair I have and to color it it just a waste of time and money for me. And I'll have to admit; I hate gray roots! To me, gray roots are worse than any other kind of roots. It's like your secret has been exposed; you are not who you seem to be!

So, I'll stick with the gray hair, even though other people treat me differently because of it. Especially people who work in stores, etc. They don't look at my face; they just look at the hair and they see gray hair so they think "old person". I get called things like "sweetie" and "little lady" and (the worst of all) "young lady" by people who are often younger, but sometimes every bit as old as I am.

I would just like to say, "I know you are trying to be nice, but that just doesn't make me feel very good, so please don't call me young lady."

Or I could just slap them, but I'm really not the violent type. Most of the time.

Instead what I would like people to see when they look at a person with gray hair is wisdom and knowledge and all of the experiences that we have accumulated in our still too few years of life.

I'm patient, I have an incredible sense of perspective that I didn't have as a young person. I know that things will always work out, not because I am some unthinking optimist, but because I have learned that there is a solution for every problem and with time, it can be found.

I understand that people don't always tell the truth, not because they want to lie but because they are afraid for some reason. I've learned that even though people can do terrible things, inside they do not see themselves as terrible.

I don't feel the urge to "make every minute count", that it is okay just to be, to enjoy your life, to feel happiness for no reason other than that you are alive and that your day is full of potential. So having said that, Happy St. Patrick's Day and Happy Birthday Bob.