Defining "Growing Old Gracefully"

Day 3 of the blog. Today I will give you what I feel is my definition of growing old gracefully, and an example from my life. I think that traditionally the term "growing old Gracefully" is used to mean, letting your hair go gray, or away, starting to wear sweaters more, eating the early bird dinner at Denney's and quietly proceeding to the nearest retirement home for BINGO and early bedtimes.

I reject this notion of growing old gracefully. To me, I feel growing old (or growing older) gracefully means accepting the past as the past; a place to remember, nut not a place to live in. And it means accepting the place God has put you in, as the place you are meant to be. I have struggled, and still do struggle with this.

I also feel growing old gracefully means to keep doing what you can do, and knowing what things you no longer can do, and be willing to do without them. If that makes any sense.

A prime example of growing old gracefully was my Grandma Bell. After losing a husband after nearly 50 years of marriage, Grandma Bell continued teaching Sunday School at her church, figuring this is where the Lord wanted her to be. But before too long she felt a different call from the Lord and in her late 60's went on a two and a half year missionary trip to Italy. There was a group of missionaries who would go out and present the gospel in the streets of Rome. Grandma was the cook for the team, but for one week each month she would also go out with the teams to present her testimony. Certainly not your typical Grandma thing to do, but Grandma Bell felt the Lord's call and she responded.

Tomorrow I will give you a couple examples from pop culture of people I think are growing older gracefully. Until then, keep walking the road He leads you on.