A Word on Aging

 Hi there!

Welcome back to the MoodiNews. Every Thursday, we discuss a variety of matters related to mental health and self-improvement.

I’m so glad you’re here.

Today we are going to be talking about: AGING! Yay!

A few years ago, when I was still in therapy, I remember complaining to my therapist, Carin, about getting older:

“Carin,” I said to her, “as I get older, I feel like I am falling behind. When I look back, I wish I had appreciated my 20’s more—I wasted so much time that I’ll never get back. And now, my body is starting to change, and I just feel like it’s all downhill from here. It’s so depressing!”

Carin’s response ended up being one of those moments in therapy that I will never forget.

She looked at me and said:

“Ann, getting older is a gift—it means that we have been given enough time to grow up and become somebody. Getting older is not a curse—it is a badge of honor. AGE IS SOMETHING THAT WE EARN.”

I’m pretty sure I cried when she said this to me. The consideration that age might be a blessing rather than a curse was both a relief and an entirely foreign concept to me.

Embracing the passage of time is difficult.  

Fast forward to present day, and I am turning 30 this week.

For me, it’s a milestone. The 20’s were a challenging decade, with lots of struggle and lots of therapy…

I still feel discouraged sometimes by the idea of getting older, but I also continue to find solace in Carin’s words:

Age is earned.

Because I have found this idea so comforting, I wanted to share it here with all of you.

Everyone knows the humbling and terrifying experience of pausing long enough to realize that time is passing and that we are getting older.

But aging doesn’t have to be a curse.

While the changing of our bodies and the aging of our parents and the accumulation of regret is inevitable, there is also a rich wisdom and an understanding of the world that can only be achieved through hard-won life experience—and that’s how we earn our age.

Whenever I get down about the passage of time, I just remember Carin’s words and remind myself that another year lived is a victory. Aging represents so much more than what we’ve lost—the time we spend alive is something to be celebrated.

 
Having an opportunity to reflect on this subject was a privilege for me this week.

Growing older is a gift—and so are all of you.

Here’s to another year of growth, change, and accomplishment. Happy Holidays, everyone!!