Do you remember when you were 16 or 20  seeing someone in their 60’s and thinking how old they were?   Remember thinking they couldn’t possibly understand or know what was really up with the world?

I do.   I remember thinking that these older people couldn’t possibly understand anything or have anything to teach me.

Now, I am that ” old” person and I know how wrong that young girl was.

I’ve been thinking a  lot lately about being older and feeling young.  About the image in the mirror not matching the image in my mind.

I wish I could go back and tell that young girl that I was that those older people have the same feelings, needs and desires that they always did.  I wish I could tell her so many things.

A few things  I’d like to say to the young me :

Someday you will be 60 and you will still feel young. You may have wrinkles and a few extra pounds  but those won’t matter so much.

You will remember and cherish the memories of being young but you will have so much more .

 Open your eyes ,your mind , your heart and learn.   Don’t waste the next 20 years in pursuit of things that don’t matter.

Your heart will break and your heart will heal.  Remember through all of that you matter and you are strong.

 Put yourself first sometimes.   Make your own money.   Be able to support yourself if you choose or need to.

Your children will not be harmed if they eat a piece of candy off the floor ( 5 second rule).

Boobs are not all they are cracked up to be.

Invest in yourself.   Test yourself.  Stretch yourself.

Don’t worry about what others think of you and never ever mold yourself to be what they think you should be.

Friends come and go.    You need to be your own best friend.

So dearest  young me, allow older wiser me to sum this all up for you.   Older people have it going on, listen and respect them.    Broken hearts heal, make your own money, dirt won’t kill your kids and boobs are not all that great.

 Most of all, be true to yourself.   Love yourself.   No matter what, you’ll be fine.  You’ve got this.

Younger me, Circa 1972.

Thought she knew everything