Ageism

I have heard age is just a number many times in my life as I am sure all of you have as well. Perhaps it is to some but not to me! Yes, age is a number, however it is so much more than just another year gone by.

I believe age is significant to life! Firstly, it defines stages of life. When someone tells a story about someone, they may not say my infant son so you think of those early years in a child's life, where if they talk about getting a learner's license, most likely they are talking about their teenager. After all a 1-year old does not get a driver's license while a 16 year old would. With each day, week, month, year comes Experience. With each experience comes Lessons. With each lesson comes Wisdom. Now, what comes after we experience all these first? I once asked myself that very question while pondering my future.

We all have some kind of 1st:

*1st word *1st step *1st day of school *1st best friend *1st crush *1st love *1st car *1st job *1st home *1st marriage *1st child *1st grandchild

You get the idea, we have alot of 1st that we look forward to in each of our lives. Some we use as milestones which we look forward to reaching. Not everyone's 1st are the same but we all do share that we have 1st throughout our lives.

So, what comes after all these first? What's left? AGE!! Take a moment to jump forward many years. Whatever your age is now, add a bunch more years onto that. Make yourself as old as you possibly could imagine living to be. Now, at that age what do you have have left to look forward to?

As much as I struggled with this question, I found an answer. Memories!! Stories to share. A life to reflect on. Just as you have heard that phrase, "Age is just a number", I bet you have heard this next phrase too, "Life is short". We hear that all the time but it does not seem to have the same impact as taking that moment to glance ahead and be excited to know you are living your life TODAY which is creating the memories, the stories, the wisdom, the life that you lived, giving you a life to reflect. I do not know how you may feel about this but I know that when I reach an age to reflect, I want to know that I have lived a life that gives me endless stories, memories and a whole lot of moments to reflect on! Live your life today so that you have a life to reflect on.

Don't just count your years, make your years count. Ernest Meyers