Welcome my friend, come on in & we’ll enjoy a cuppa together in my little corner of cyberspace. It’s my eighth blogging anniversary this week so I thought we would celebrate by reflecting upon how we may shine this year.

Last weekend a friend, who was leading the service at Church, shared that this year her theme for life is to be Bright. She had a bright dress on to announce this theme. As she realised that as we age especially into our Senior years we often become invisible in Western Society.

A friend of hers had commented that we become the colour Beige as we Age, because beige seems to disappear into the background when other brighter colours are around. So I thought this would be a wonderful topic for reflection today.

So grab yourself a cuppa, a treat & get comfy. I’m enjoying a Chai Tea blend today with a gf salted Caramel peanut bar. What are you having?

Let’s begin…

At what Age does ‘Aging’ begin?

That’s an interesting question, don’t you think? I remember when I had just turned 26 years old & had taken an elderly friend (in her eighties) to a medical appointment, as I sat there with her & our mutual Physician, he commented after looking at her hands that had had a medical problem but had healed that her hands were in great order now. He commented that his & my hands looked older than hers!

As surprising as this sounds, it’s actually true, I’ve always had ‘old’ looking hands. I have Celtic heritage, so very fair skin, freckles & red hair came with Celtic DNA (as was the Physician’s heritage & who had the similar aged hands to mine & he was only in his thirties, lol). Unfortunately fair skin does not go well in the hot Aussie Sun (I’m definitely not a bronzed Aussie)!

But from that comment I became very interested in the process of Aging , especially after entering University as a ‘mature age student’ a few years later at the age of 30.

My fellow ‘mature age’ students & I were known as the ‘golden girls’ (all in our thirties), LOL! I look back now as a woman in her Senior years & think that was absolutely hilarious. But to 18-20 year old fellow students we were ‘older’ & apparently intimidating in our years of ‘experience’ because we were all married & had children.

What’s happened to our Western Society?

Unfortunately Ageism is flourishing in the Western World which is very different to the era I grew up in when everyone ‘elderly’ were known as the elders of the community & were respected & honoured for their life experience & wisdom.

In fact I loved sitting with my grandparents & the older generation listening to their wisdom & gleaning from their many years of experience.

Sadly respecting & honouring Seniors in our community has drastically changed over the past few decades. For me this became glaringly obvious the year my second born daughter & first born granddaughter took me on a Mother’s Day trip to Singapore.

By that year my hair had already turned white, so I was considered an Elder by the Singaporean people, the respect & honour I was receiving from all Singaporeans was pleasantly surprising.

Unfortunately in Western Societies those considered elderly are generally no longer respected & honoured. In fact it’s the opposite, we have indeed become the colour Beige ~ invisible & intolerable to many.

I recently read a post that pointed out that some older people aren’t very diplomatic in how they communicate their disappointment in this disrespect. However, in every age group you will always find those who lack diplomacy in expressing their pain.

The causes & the solution

There are many causal component’s to the disrespect & dishonouring of the elderly (Ageism) that we’re witnessing & may be experiencing in Western Society.

But for today’s reflection we’ll specifically look at two of those components. One being Western Society’s extreme focus the Fountain of Youth which has fueled the second component; the Fear of Aging & has caused the following;

The Synchronising of old Foes

What this boils down to is that Aging has become an affront to a Society obsessed with  looking eternally young & all that entails. Which in turn has lead to an intolerance, disrespect & dishonouring of those who are considered Aged.

This Fear of Aging has also been fueled by the Media over the decades, I can think of many movies, TV shows, cartoons & even children’s books over the years that have portrayed aging as something to fear, that’s it’s ugly & intolerable.

The Solution;

Well, my friend’s solution is to not continue to be seen as Beige but be Bright not just in dressing but also in attitude. And I can confirm that she’s a wonderful Ambassador for being Bright as she Ages! She’s full of life, energy & love for others.

Let’s see what God says about Aging;

“Planted in the house of the LORD,

they will flourish in the courts of our God.

In old age they will still bear fruit;

healthy and green they will remain,

to proclaim, “The LORD is upright; He is my Rock,

and in Him there is no unrighteousness.” Psalm 92: 13-15 BSB

We can do this because of the following promise by God Himself:

“Even to your old age I am He, And even to your advanced old age I will carry you! I have made you, and I will carry you; Be assured I will carry you and I will save you.” Isaiah 46: 4 AMP

We don’t have to do our older years alone for God Himself is with us carrying us through all the aches, pains, wrinkles & wobblies. Our part is to have the right attitude & may I echo a Bright Attitude.

Which ties in with my words for this Year (WOTY) Sanctuary of Thanks-living...& in the words of Charles Spurgeon which I quoted last week one aspect of Thanks-living is to have a “general cheerfulness of manner” or in today’s language a Bright Attitude!

Personally, I can have a bright attitude, regardless of being seen as Beige or Bright by my society, because my Sanctuary for Thanks-living is Christ Jesus!

How about you my friend, are you Beige or Bright?

Until next time,

Jennifer

You’re most welcome to join me in The Reading Nook

or in Prayer

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