at what age does someone become old? i find that my definition of 'old' is anyone above my parents' age level. which is interesting. because it seems as if, by setting 'old' above my parents, i make my parents ageless. or perhaps more accurately, i'm afraid to see them grow old, to see change. can you imagine the day that your parents are 'old' to your eyes? the day that you realize, yes, your parents, possibly the one constant throughout your entire life, will one day leave this earth?
which begs a deeper question: what is old? when does something move from the new to the established to the old? the answer is deeper than any time length or superficial judgment. to be old, in all honesty, implies irrelevance. when a mouth casually says, 'oh that's old', the heart actually says, 'oh that's obsolete' or 'useless' or 'unnecessary'. which is why being 'old' implies such negative things to our minds. to be old is to be irrelevant and passé, which we humans with our egos hate.
so in the end, perhaps the answer is right before us. oldness has nothing to do with age or time or the freshness of the air but the relevance and the heart of a person. the body may be old and irrelevant to the young eyes of today, but the heart may still be vibrant and young. the face may wrinkle with the troubles of yesteryear, but the smile may still be brighter than the birth of a star. and the hands may be cracked and worn, but the eyes may gleam with the joy of an eagle in flight.
so with that, my friends, may you never grow old, and may your lifesong sing of the joy and the sorrow and the grandeur all the days of your life.
