I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I was reflecting on one of those “coming into my age” moments. Last week, I was having a Zoom meeting with my mentee, who is in the 4th grade. She made a reference comparing me to her grandparents.
“Oh,” I said, trying to hide the horror and shock I was feeling, in my voice. “So, you think that I’m about the age of your grandparents?” I looked off to the side, trying to look casual and only mildly interested.
“Oh, no, no,” she said, not so convincingly.
But then I thought about it more. Her mother is in her twenties. I have a son who is 24 years old. If her grandmother also had her mother in her young twenties, there is even a chance that her grandparents are younger than I am. Things That Make You Go, Hmmmmm.
When my brother-in-law got married (the first time) I met the bride’s family at the wedding. Her mother was only two years older than me…and I had a 2-year-old! That was the first of the many “Yikes!” moments I’ve experienced around the subject of aging.
When I was in my twenties, people thought that I was older because I was competent and responsible at work, and they were surprised to discover my true age. But as I’ve gotten older, the reverse has been true. When people find out I’m about to turn 56 they are astounded because they all think I’m in my early 40s. I didn’t have my son until I was 34, so I was way behind the parental curve at that point. I guess that other moms assume you are in their age group (unless it’s completely obvious that you are not!) I’ve also been told by two therapists that I “present” as much younger because I’m vivacious. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or a subtle dig about my level of maturity! Haha – either way, I’ll take it. You’re only as old as you feel!
That’s funny, Kelly. I don’t know if I ever feel an age or I just feel like “myself” and am surprised when my age comes into play, if that makes sense?
Oh, absolutely – that completely makes sense. I often have to stop and think about what age I actually am because I don’t “feel” like a particular number. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to feel like at each age, so I just carry on being me and assume that it’s good unless someone tells me different!