“Helping Babies Breathe” AGSM Pre-Conference Workshop
July 18, 2014The Healthy Child Fair, Kumasi
March 12, 2015
“Age ain’t nothing but a number….tra…la…la….”
And no, it’s not because my birthday was a few months ago.
Let’s rewind to last weekend when I was sitting on my bed, reading The Mirror and sipping from a mug of green tea (I love green tea, by the way). In walks my 14-year-old daughter, T. She plops down on the bed and tickles my feet to get my attention.
Here’s the conversation that ensued.
Me: Hi sweetie.
T: Hi Mummy. Can I ask you a question?
Me (putting newspaper down): Sure.
T: What’s YOUR definition of old?
Me: Why do you ask, sweetie? (Note: With teenagers, it is always safer to answer a question with another question, just because you never know where the conversation is headed)
T (grinning widely): WEEEELLLL, you know how you and daddy are kinda middle-aged but don’t think you’re old, no offense (right hand up). I’m just curious about what age is old to you. Who would you consider old then?
At this point, she leans over and kisses my cheek, toothy grin unwavering.
Me!! Middle-aged!!! Old!!!
But it got me thinking. Really, how old ‘old’ is, depends on which side of the street you’re standing on. My children consider anyone aged 25 years and above to be ancient and yet hubby refers fondly to his Uncle K who is “so young” at 60. I remember years ago, being genuinely shocked that someone was 34 years old. “Really??” I exclaimed then, “You look so young!” (Translation: 34 is old). Yet now, 34 is definitely young…. lol.
Why are humans so obsessed with age? While it is true that our earthly lives are a finite number of years, why do we constantly define people and their actions by age? We place limits on ourselves because we feel we are too old to dream, live, enjoy, accomplish, transform….
We judge and are judged by numbers. We guard the identity of those numbers even more than the gates of Flagstaff House and over time, we develop selective amnesia and the numbers either miraculously start dropping or remain the same with each passing year. We are simply afraid of being old…
So here are my two cents (or pesewas)… Consider yourself old, only if you cannot do one or more of the following:
- Breathe in and out
- Laugh out loud
- Laugh at yourself
- Give a child a hug
- Sing along to your favourite song
- Read a good book
- Dance when no-one is watching
- Dance when everyone is watching (your teen children will cringe but never mind them!)
- Say a kind word to at least 3 people each day
- Say “I love you”
“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” Mark Twain
Oh, and the consolation I got was: “Don’t worry Mummy, you’re the ‘youngest’ (both hands in the air demonstrating the apostrophes) mother in my class.”
Much love… 🙂
J
