"You can either grow old gracefully or begrudgingly. I chose both."
As I sat early one morning sipping a cup of tea, I saw the quote as part of a tribute of the famous who had passed away this year.
These were the words of suave and debonair Roger Moore, aka James Bond. Actor. Celebrity. Superstar.
I love the quote – a beautiful confluence of agility and feistiness! It felt so befitting of a Hollywood icon. I could just picture the dashing grin on his face as he spoke with his alluring British accent, and I couldn’t help but smile myself.
The quote kept creeping into my thoughts throughout the day. Something kept tugging at me as I pondered what those words meant to me as I face my own inevitable process of aging (at least hope I do!).
Dictionary.com beckoned…
Graceful – “characterized by elegance or beauty of form, manner, movement, or speech; elegant”
I don’t have to think much about this. It feels easy, dignified – a natural flow, a gratitude for life’s experiences.
Begrudgingly - “to be reluctant to give, grant, or allow”
When I see those words, I feel struggle, a fight. I’m not sure what it meant for Roger Moore, perhaps the celebrity pressure that leads to plastic surgery or progressive wives. Of course, it doesn’t matter what any of us think – it was his life and his journey.
As I reflect on how I want to bring begrudgingly to my life, I’m finding inspiration in my own backyard.
While I’m not so crazy about my changing body - the graying hair, sagging skin and wrinkles - they inevitable do come with getting older, and I’m inspired by those in my life who model the way:
There's Wanda (pictured above), who at 82, dances several nights a week and just traded her Harley for a 3-wheeled trike.
And there’s Richard, who walked rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon when he was 74, walked a half marathon at 76, kills it on the tennis court and whose humor keeps me laughing on every hiking excursion.
These are just two of the many who choose to live life fully, seek new adventures and never quit. They embody the message of a quote that I love:
"I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well." Diane Ackerman
They are aging, both gracefully and begrudgingly. They chose both – I will too!
And you?
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Wishing you well!
Karen