Sunday, February 15, 2009

Mama On: Aging

"Mother Nature is an Indian Giver."


Okay, to begin, I am fairly certain that this quote is not politically correct. But my mother, Knower of all things Mamalogical, was pretty much on target. Think about it: you're born and you are pretty much a blank slate. Given time, you grow into a lovely young person with opinions, a tight body, and the time to use it. When you reach middle age and know what to do with what you've got and how to work with it, Mother Nature starts trying to take it back! As someone (I think it was Mae West) once said, "getting old is not for wimps."

So, what's a Mamaknologist to do?

My mother would tell you to enjoy the process. She would tell you to get the most you could out of your life before Mother Nature began trying to take her gifts back. She would tell you to start with making every day, especially every birthday count. She would say that there is nothing wrong with reinvention. She would say that you should leave your mistakes behind when you climb into bed every night, because every day that you wake up is one more chance to get life right. She would say that God don't like ugly, and neither should you -- don't let stupid and ugly bind your ankles and trip you up.

She would say to be the best that you can be. She would say that looking good and feeling good are yours by right, not privilege -- unless you let someone take them from you. She would say that you should never stop learning; that once you've learned something, it can never be taken from you. She would say that everything good to you is not good for you -- and that goes for everything from cake and alcohol, to sex and men. She would say that you should extend the same courtesies to yourself that you extend to others, because if you're not good to yourself, you will never be good for anyone else.

Today would have been my mother's 81st birthday, and she would tell you that your birthday is your own personal holiday. She would tell you to celebrate your aging with grace and to mark your life with beauty. And when you get to the end, she would tell you to know God and to be glad that Jesus believed in crosses.

Yes, my mother was The Knower Of Many Things, and not at all shy about sharing them.

Happy Birthday, Mom.

No comments: