My birthday is coming up in about a month. As it approaches, I can’t help but think about what it means to me to get older.
Once I hit my mid-30s, I noticed that I had become concerned about my age. I no longer could think of myself as one of the “young people.” I regularly encountered folks younger than me in positions of authority or who had accomplished a great deal. I felt a bit bothered by this.
Over the last several years, this attitude has changed. I think it has a lot to do with paying more attention to my health (through watching what I eat and working out). It also has to do with my more successful efforts lately to find and maintain balance in my life.
Now, when I think about getting older, instead of feeling bothered, I feel triumphant. As each year passes, I continue to be healthy and strong. Instead of being ashamed to be another year older, I feel triumphant to be the age that I am.
I am roughly the same age as a couple of athletes who have recently triumphed: swimmer Dara Torres and pitcher Tim Wakefield. Both are older than most athletes, and both have had remarkable years. Torres triumphed at the Olympics in 2008, and has done very well in her competitions since then. Wakefield was named to the All Star Team in 2009, for the first time in his career. Talk about triumphing as we age!
I don’t need to win medals or be considered an All Star in order to triumph as I age. I just need to stay healthy, balanced, and true to myself.
