Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Recently my husband has been groaning each time he looks in the mirror. This will inevitably be followed be such comments as.... Do you think my hair is getting whiter? You are married to an old man... or Do I look as old as...? He really is getting rather deflated at his reflection in the mirror. Hence, I ask the question – when is a reflection not really a reflection? We all age and once we past fifty – the process does seem to gather momentum. But the image we see in the mirror is but a poor reflection of the whole person – particularly one who is aged. That is – a person who has gathered wisdom through the challenges and struggles of life; a person who has foregone self gratification through the raising of children; a person who has developed skills and knowledge throughout their career; a person who has learnt how to explore and enjoy this life we have been given. A mirror does not reflect such characteristics as these. The lines, wrinkles and grey hair are merely outward indicators of qualities that can only be attained one way – that is by growing old!!

Confessions of a Gym Junkie

You would think after nearly 2 years of regular gym attendance and enthusiastic participation, that my body would no longer scream out in pain after a session of exercise. Actually its not really a scream – just more of a dull ache and an exhausting tiredness that sees me not wanting to leave my couch all afternoon. Maybe a class of pump followed by 45mins of step was a bit much after all! I do love a good workout though – but one would think that the body would get used to it and bounce back a little more readily. Not so – maybe because of the undenying fact that my body is aging – no matter how hard I try to avoid it. I suppose I could give in to it all – accept the inevitable and take it easy. Say to myself - “You're getting old, you are not supposed to be able to do this stuff any more. Just embrace the flab and the floppiness – it will all stop working one day so what's the point?'

But I enjoy being physically active, I love feeling strong and flexible. I love having enough energy to actively play with the grandkids, to dance with my husband and to cycle or paddle with my friends. If I don't stay fit, then its goodbye to such pleasures and such wonderful opportunities to enjoy the gift of life. So far, I have no permanent aches and pains (just self inflicted ones), I enjoy good health and everything still works really well. I figure if I quit now I will never get my fitness back as it will be way too hard. So I continue on - pushing my self just that little bit further each time. Maybe I am in denial about stepping over into the next decade of life, but being fit at this stage of life is a blessing I don't intend to take for granted!