“The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.”
― Robert Frost
Every now and then, I take one of those “real age” online quizzes. If you’ve never taken one they usually consist of a number of lifestyle questions (how often do you drink, smoke, workout, etc.) to determine how old you actually are. By “how old” it means how much wear and tear you’ve put in on your body already.
What I wish these tests would also do is tell us “how young” we are. I’d like some context that highlights our relative youth that we won’t have in 5, 10, 20, or 30 years. No matter how old you are, you are still the younger version of who you will be next year. And I want that context to help us celebrate today’s bodies. These are the vessels that will allow us to make a difference in the lives of others.
The Young List
So here is an exercise that I decided to try. Below is my version of the things that remind me just how young I am today, but your things may be different. They say youth is wasted on the young because we can’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. But does it have to be that way?
- Take a moment to notice your knees. Do you feel intense pain in your knees just from simply standing or walking? If not, appreciate your knees and celebrate your youth.
- Now take a moment to notice your next inhale and exhale. Was it labored? Did you fear it might not come easily? If not, appreciate your lungs and celebrate your youth.
- “Wow. Look at how easy my hips move. They walk across the room without any pain!” Is this true for you? If so, appreciate your hips and celebrate your youth.
- Imagine you’re 90 years old and looking at a picture of yourself that was taken today. Would you use the word “young” to describe yourself? If so, appreciate today’s face and celebrate your youth.
By now you have the basic idea. No matter what signs of aging you might be experiencing there are still things that make you blessed to be the incredibly young version of yourself that you are today.