Aging Eyes

I had this weird moment a few weeks ago. I was laughing and talking and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. That single moment has been in the fore front of my mind ever since.

Every day I get up and do any number of things that include working out, showering, caring for my home, working, shopping, eating and spending time with family and friends. I don’t know about you, but I don’t really spend that much time looking at myself. That quick glance in the mirror caught me off guard because I saw this older lady looking back at me. Not elderly but definitely older.

I tend to forget that I am beyond what is generally regarded the life half way point. I carry myself like I feel which is just like I have always felt. I don’t walk slower or avoid activities. Being active and busy is who I am. But I keep thinking back to that shocking glimpse and wondering if the jig is up. Should I stop kidding myself and “act my age?”

That saying that “the eyes are the mirror to the soul” keeps replaying in my mind. Do these eyes reflect the person that I am? Are they full of life and vibrant or are they lying eyes? I think back to my Grandaddy’s sisters my Great Aunts and cannot help but remember how they would all laugh together and tell jokes and stories. There exterior showed signs of aging but their hearts and minds were filled with youthful exuberance. This makes me think that perhaps aging is the badge we begin to wear to show the world that life is to be lived. Our eyes can still sparkle even with a wrinkle or two hugging them. Our hearts still thrill at good news and break with bad and our eyes soldier on carrying the message of our souls. Perhaps those little lines are actually from the weight of all we learn as we walk through each day of our life.

I am well aware that aging is not something you can stop unless you’re dead, so I am happy to have the opportunity to have these lines of life and experience to share. The next time I catch an unexpected glimpse of myself in the mirror I will be grateful for those lines and the chance to see myself as I really am.