You are not a limited edition, relive your childhood moments

Age denotes the number of years you have spent on this earth. It does not reveal anything about who you are, what you are and what your achievements are. Enjoy and embrace life as you grow old, relive your childhood memories and develop a positive, fruitful attitude; pains and problems are common to everyone. Involved in reliving childhood days as and when you get a chance is positive aging. It means you are agile, active, kicking and feeling good for yourself. Life can be enjoyed to the fullest if we forget our date of birth. Life is beautiful and simple if you see 2+2 is 4 not 22.

I am, proud of my age and proud that I have survived this planet for as long as I have. Aging is notNo age of life is inglorious. Youth has its merits, but living to a ripe old age is the true statement of value. Along with aging certain things will not change, the childishness in you, you don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing. Growing old is mandatory hence grow old gracefully lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength. Getting older may come with white hair, and wrinkles but it also comes with wisdom, experience and a deeper appreciation for life and is worth celebrating.

Recently I was in Bengaluru for a week at my daughter’s place. During my regular morning walks, I noticed some trees very familiar to my childhood days. There was a flush of warm memories when I saw the Indian Almond Tree popularly known as Badam Chettu in Hyderabad and the huge Hill Jasmine tree, the Konda Malli. As children we picked up these sweet- scented flowers, made a small bouquet and rushed home as fast as we could, to give to mother. With warm memories and moist eyes, I bent down with difficulty, ignoring the curious on lookers, collected, bunched and rushed home very excited. Sometimes we made a long plait with these long- stalked flowers and decorated the Gods photo frames.

The Indian Almond tree took me back to my school days of 60’s where we walked home, after the school gave over. On our way back, we came -across a huge compound with a big iron gate that housed a bank, an office, a small hotel and a big Badam tree loaded with fleshy fruits. By, evening the fruits pecked by the birds lay scattered on the ground. We girls, slowly sneaked in and collected them. We cleaned them with our skirts and chewed the outer layer to our heart’s content, the mouths painted red. The ar matic magenta fruit sometimes tasted sweet other times bitter. After eating the fruit, the nut was extracted by breaking the kernel with a stone. I relived this process again after 60 long years. Believe me, I relished the fruit and the nut in the same way sans mother’s threats. With age comes a sense of self- assuredness and wisdom to navigate challenges with grace. Change is a fundamental aspect of life. Embracing this change can lead to personal growth, self- acceptance and a more profound understanding of ourselves. In the race against time, we will reach a point where the mirror reveals the truth-we are getting older seeing the numerous white hairs and the presence of wrinkles. It is natural to feel a pang of sadness but it is a journey. Aging is not a tale of despair, but rather a story of growth and beauty. In the life page type your wishes, like the computer key boards, press them as you like. Don’t dream big but small dreams can be achieved. Don’t feel You are a limited edition. Goal is to live life. ‘Age is just a number’. Listen to music once you loved and relive those moments. Age is physical not mind and spirit.

No age of life is inglorious. Youth has its merits, but living to a ripe old age is the true statement of value. Along with aging certain things will not change, the childishness in you, you don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing. growing old is mandatory hence grow old gracefully.