THE SAME, BUT DIFFERENT

Contemplating seasons of life, in this my birth month...old people, I hear, are prone to reflection.

I once was young. Now, I am not-so-young. Some things have changed over the years, but many things have not.

A few things that have NOT changed:

• Mosquitoes still think I taste delicious. (I would post a picture of my legs as proof, but that would make you itch all over.)
• The stars on a moonless night still take my breath away.
• The house I grew up in is still the most beautiful house in the world.
• I still love Tennessee summertime.
• Images - as in a movie - still affect me more deeply than they seem to affect lots of other people.
• I am still inordinately fond of red hair and freckles.
• I love sitting on the porch swing during a thunderstorm so I can watch the lightning show. Rainbows make me feel giddy, like I live in a world filled with magic.
• I am still prone to stomp in puddles, or in the creek, or in the fountain in the park.
• When I cry - even snot-nose, tears-streaming down my face kind of crying - I still do so silently.
• I still value integrity.
• I still love the feel and smell of sheets and towels dried outside on the clothesline.
• I still think my mama's fried chicken is the best, and I still love to hug my daddy.
• I still believe in Happily Ever After.

A few things that HAVE changed:

• I have old lady skin - the kind that looks like crepe paper - and the veins stick out on my feet and hands. What's up with that?
• I think early bedtime is a blessing, not a curse.
• When I was young, I used to think some babies were not-so-very-pretty. Now, I know there is no such thing as an ugly baby.
• As a rule, I am not afraid of people, even large groups of people or people who are very different from me. People are wonderful. That's a BIG change from when I started first grade!
• I do not want to be a veterinarian when I grow up. Maybe a manatee, or Wonder Woman, but definitely not a vet.
• I used to not like oatmeal, turnips, coffee, beer, green olives, or raw cranberries. Now, I can't think of a single food that I strongly dislike. I LOVE FOOD, and I love trying new kinds of food. (This, perhaps, is not such a good thing!)
• I used to think people who cussed were probably not very strong Christians. Used to.
• I do not think it is a good idea for young children to see how far they can leap out of the loft window in the hay barn. (Suzanne and Tom Wright, it is a miracle we survived to adulthood.)
• I am no longer a fan of "tanning" - I am instead a fan of sunscreen. (BENJAMIN☺)
• I no longer sleep like a baby. Up every three hours during the night, awake for the day before dawn, crabby when I don't get my afternoon nap...now that I think about it, maybe I do sleep like a baby. Well, then, let me say: I no longer sleep like a teenager.
• I hated piano recitals when I was a girl; now, I love piano recitals. Being a member of the audience instead of a student performer makes all the difference in the world!
• I have been a Christian for almost as long as I can remember, but, at 53, I have greater brokenness, more solid assurance, and deeper joy in Christ than ever before.

What about YOU? How are you the same? How are you different?