An Open Letter to the Young Spirit From the Old Body

Age is just a number on your birth certificate. It's a state of mind and all about how young you feel right? True, but sometimes your young spirit needs a reminder from your old body.

To the young mind that often forgets they aren't in their 20s anymore, from the body that hasn't felt young in years.....

It's nice to feel young and enjoy life through the eyes of a child. But those eyes can't see much anymore. At least not without help from glasses. Bifocals at that, so you can see both near and far.

It's nice to run through life, experiencing everything that comes across your path. But those legs can't go very far anymore. At least not without taking a break or two to catch a breath. Especially if you haven't exercised in....well, ever.

It's nice to enjoy a day with children to make you feel like one. But you're not and you can't act like it. You can't run and jump to heart's content. Your old body won't like it, especially your lower back. And if you're not careful, you'll need a doctor or medication to heal your old body after a day with young kids.

It's nice to celebrate every special occasion or small moment in life. But remember it takes longer to recover now. You can't drink all night and jump out of bed early the next morning, ready to start the day as you did in your younger years. Your pounding head and queasy stomach won't like that. And they may hang around for a day or two.

Never let the young spirit die, no matter how old the body gets. But just remember the body isn't as young as the mind and it'll always painfully remind you whenever you forget.