OLD IS 15 YEARS OLDER THAN YOU ARE

A Beautiful World by Grandma Moses

When I was 6 I fell in love with a handsome 30 year old who broke my heart. Looking back I realize that he knew by my puppy dog eyes that I had a crush on him and thought it was endearing . I was eating breakfast and the only food left on my plate was the ever-present grits which I hadn't learned to love yet. " Eat your grits, " he urged. " No, I won't and you can't make me. Besides, I hate you, " I cried, " I heard you're going to get married ! "

I ended up marrying a man a decade older than me but he's as spry and energetic at 74 as I am. We've all heard the adage that "you're only as old as you feel " and if this is true then I'm buying into the boomer's "60 is the new 40 . " When I was a child I lived far beyond my years and now I intend to do the reverse and stay young indefinitely. I just want to make sure that my body knows this and keeps up with me.

As Rachel Carson, noted biologist and writers said earth " Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. " Gardeners definitely fit into this category, and they, and artists tend to live longer lives. Grandma Moses took up painting in her late seventies and produced more than 1600 wonderful pieces of Americana until she died at the ripe old age of 101.

I'm not obsessing about age, just in a pensive mood today as I've been sidelined by the cold weather and have some time to myself. I am reflecting on a new soon-to-be-milestone in this my 6th decade of life. In less than a month I am to be a grandmother for the first time.

So my granddaughter will be 15 before I grow old. There's so much I want to teach her about the beauty of the earth. After all youth is a gift of nature, and age is a work of art.