SEC-S13W4 | "Is age just a number?"

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What is a number?

I’ve always thought a number was just a number that you used to count. Then, all of a sudden, one day, it all changed.

My mother called us to do the dishes. That will be my sister and me. I cannot even remember how old I was. I just know that I was very young as mom put us in the kitchen from the time we could hold a dishcloth.

Doing the dishes was not for me. “Mom, how old are you?” Her answer was 36 years.

I dreamed of turning 36 one day! Numbers were no longer for adding; they started to matter to me. Quickly, I had to learn that age 36 is not going to bring any changes, as I will be washing dishes until I am very old.

As an infant, from 0 to 18 months, it was my parents who counted the days and the months.

As a toddler, 3 years old, important for me was to show the family my age by holding up the correct amount of fingers when mom asked me to show the family.

In my preschool years, 3 to 4 years old, I dreamed of going to school. Mom told me that I was school-ready and would go to school before the age of 5.

Early school years, 4 to 12 years, and I was dreaming of becoming a teenager. It will be the day that I can decide what I want to wear.

When I reached adolescence or my teenage years, 12 to 18 years old, I was wishing with each birthday that the next would come quickly so that I could get my driver’s license and be independent.

They call 18 to 40 years, young adulthood. For me, I couldn’t wait to receive my “key” at 21. It was the cherry on the cake for me as an adult. The very next day, I wished to stay 21 forever, as all of a sudden I realized the responsibilities that now rested on my shoulders. They were endless.

Middle adulthood, 40 to 65 years old, is the bracket I’m currently falling into. For me, it is not middle adulthood but a midlife crisis. All of a sudden, your body undergoes these weird changes. Your hormones are bugging you, the grey hair is no longer only a few, age spots are starting to appear, sagging is to be seen, and you are left with one thought: acceptance. You cannot change time, and with that, you cannot change age.

Late adulthood, 65+, I am waiting in anticipation for it to come!

Am I proud of my age? Or am I one of those who take off or put on years to my age?

I won’t say that I am proud of my age.

✔ I am proud of what I have achieved at my age.
✔ I am proud of living a life lived to the fullest.
✔ I am proud of how I’ve handled the challenges that came my way.

So if I am not proud of my age, what am I?

I am content, and there is no need for me to subtract a couple of years from my age. Well, only if it is for my stepson. For him, I will always be 21.

Is it the same to be 20 years old than 65?

I am not 65, but I can answer with a big NO!
With each year I added to my life after twenty, I became wiser, more intellectual, less demanding, and more willing. Oh yes, and I am SMART, dolphin smart!

Growing older does not imply losing our youth; rather, it signifies regaining our freedom to be who we want to be.

The bonus that comes with being older is that you get to dish your food first, and everybody asks you what you want to do.

How old would I like to be right now, and why?

I’ve found a friend for life… ME, a woman I know who is bold and brave at her age and the perfect companion.

I’ve lived my life, and I am happy with it; therefore, I don’t want to change my age. My age is also not stopping me from accomplishing my dreams, my milestones, and definitely not my bucket list.

I can still enjoy the things I’ve always had. Okay, it might be a bit more difficult to bend to pick up that piece of paper or to cut the toenails, but it can still be done. Best of all, there is no time period for looking for new things to do.

It was Dick van Dyke, award-winning actor and comedian, who said there are two things you have to have when you grow older.

1. You must have a purpose

2. You must have someone to love

I’ve combined the two. My purpose in the years to come is to love my husband and my family until the very end.

Do I agree with the special treatment of the laws for older people?

I have to smile. There is a supermarket here, Alpha Omega. I enjoy going there for two reasons. Firstly, they always have good prices on their take-away meals like shawarmas and pizzas, and secondly, they give me a 10% pensioner discount.
I declined it the first time feeling a bit annoyed that I was seen as a pensioner, but now I’ve come to enjoy it.

My answer is thus: YES!

My mother falls under the “late adulthood” bracket, and when she was still living with me, I could see how special treatment helped her with waiting in queues and being first to be helped at financial institutions, government departments, and public places.

I will take it one step further and agree that it is a human right and the responsibility of the government to look after the elderly.
South Africa recognizes the elderly as members of society, and they are protected by law through the “Bill of Rights” and the “Older Person’s Act.”

✔ The right to health care
✔ The right to human dignity
✔ The right to food, water, and social security
✔ The right to housing

Let’s embrace the elderly and give them the dignity they deserve.

Do I think 18 is old enough to be considered an adult?

Oh man, this is a difficult question. One of those questions where the scale can tip to both sides. I was caught in both of these situations.

When my son turned 18, he was still a child, and I wished I could make him an adult at 21. He was just not mature enough to be classified as an adult. It was only in later years that he “caught” up with his age.

When my daughter turned 18, we were celebrating the doors that were going to open for her. She, on the other hand, could have been an adult at the age of 16 already.

What I have learned is that when your children turn 18, you no longer go down on your knees in prayer once a day but twice a day. You have done your best to shape and prepare them for the years ahead. Best of all, you have to let go.
It is now in their hands and God’s.

I still need to answer one more question.

Is age just a number?

No! Age is not just a number; it is far more than that.

It is a collection of dreams, highlights, milestones, memories, adventures, and friendships. All those things we need to form and shape us as we grow older

Enjoy your age to the fullest!

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