Forever Young

     Running bare-foot in a field, laying in tall grass while conjuring up visions of animals in the cloudy sky above, fill me with exhilaration. Hand me a cane pole and drop me off at the nearest pond with plenty of bait and I’m as close to Heaven in this natural world as I can get until the Lord opens the gates and says, “Come on in!”


      My body tells me that I’m not as young as I use to be, yet, my heart says otherwise. I still laugh at silly jokes, cry at sad movies, and run foot races when challenged. Although I don’t win as many as I did at a younger age, I still hold my own.


      What is it about youth that many people strive to maintain? For years, I heard of the “Fountain of Youth” knowing full well there was no such thing. Why shoot, as a child, I searched for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but never found it, so with that in mind, I came to the conclusion that there is no youth in a fountain…. And soon realized that even a makeup bottle wasn’t a cure for the aging process.


      After the grandkids made their debut in my life, people kept telling me that they would keep me young. So, with all the zeal a 50ish grandmother could muster up, I immersed myself in soccer ball, basketball, softball, and yes, even football. I earned my wings, and lost a few tail feathers, but chalked it up to molting….


      By this time, my husband had bought an Expedition so that we could haul all the equipment and kids to the games that he so graciously volunteered to coach. His sentiments? It’ll be fun, and keep us young! Fun? “Yes!” Young? I found some silver while gazing in my rearview mirror on one game day, and it wasn’t silver coins. But of course, hubby’s answer to that was, “It gives you character.” I say, “Going to ballgames in 100 plus temperatures gives us character.” If that doesn’t do it, then watching our grandchild take a hit from a 55 mile per hour softball would. (Soft? Yeah right!)


      Yes, time marches on and this granny marches to the beat of the drum. Or is that my over-exerted heart? Ca-thump, Ca-thump.


      Seriously, I give thanks daily that I can still rise at five in the morning, and go to bed at night filled with joy; I can stand by my grandchildren as they mature to adults, cheer during all their accomplishments, share disappointments, and still have my hearing when they whisper, “ Hey, Mamaw has on two different shoes!.” Ahhh , yes… forever young.
 

© 2005 Marie Williams