On Getting Older

I'm shocked when I look at pictures of myself

because I see a grandmother and not a young wife and mother.

The lines are there,

mostly smile lines around my mouth

laugh lines around my eyes

and skin that is showing those nasty age spots no matter how much I take care of it.

I'm growing older, 

having surpassed the three score birthday last year.

Life hasn't always turned out the way we had planned,

there have been heartaches and sorrows,

more physical pain than I could have ever imagined living with

but always grace to choose joy in the midst of it.

I'm known for my laugh,

which as I always tell my children is a great thing to be known for!

And this year there was once again been an unforseen turn of events

that is challenging us

forcing us to make decisions we weren't ready to make

giving way to long conversations into the night.

We don't know all the answers,

only the questions, lots and lots of questions.

But we know who holds the future,

and who knows what the answers to the questions are

and so I continue to trust

that even with each passing year

my heavenly Father has already worked it all out for me.

Tomorrow my dear Husband is going in for Hip Replacement Surgery,
a sure sign of aging it seems,
and as he said,
'If old people can make it through this,
then we will too!'...
I guess that means that we may be older,
but not quite old yet!