“When did we grow old? We grew old when we stopped learning, and dreaming, and believing beyond the things that we could see.” – Joyce, itakeoffthemask.com
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"Of Waves and Butterflies: Poems on Grief", "Mend My Broken Heart", "Questions to God", "To Love an Invisible God", "Defending My Catholic Faith", and more - click here.
(You may freely quote excerpts from this website as long as due credit is given to author Jocelyn Soriano and the website itakeoffthemask.com)
7 replies on “When Did We Grow Old?”
Hi Joyce,
You know, I think I was born old! I was always very serious about life and “getting there,” by which I mean achieving a certain status in life.
The best thing though is that as I’ve aged chronologically I’ve actually grown younger in my attitude. I’m more curious about things than I was 15 years ago. I’m also much more determined to enjoy my life and focused on happiness versus career achievement and material wealth now. Lucky for me I had to get old to get “young!”
Hello Jocelyn and Angela and I hope all is well. I think getting old for me was when I first started getting knee pain when the weather would get cold each year. Physically I may be aging but mentally I’m still young at heart. My face and body have changed drastically but my mind is full of wonder still and a desire to want to learn more and keep on learning more. Just different things from when I was younger. Some things that I haven’t figured out yet or had fulfilled knowledge wise when I was younger, I’m still working on in my 40s. Wishing you all a wonderful week! Great Question too Jocelyn and thank you for letting me share my thoughts. Sincerely, Darlene
You know Jocelyn; it’s funny that you would write an article on “When Did We Grow Old.” I have just recently heard from a friend of mine of whom I have know for over 40 years. He is only around 48 years old,and has ceased dreaming. He at one time was so ambitious,yet through life “beat-downs,” has surrended dreaming. Infact his words to me were, “I’m looking forward to going home.” Home meaning heaven. That in and of itself is a wonderful thing to want to go to heaven,but we shouldn’t want to “check out”when we have been faced with a slue of failures. KEEP DREAMING.!!! Don’t give in or up…
Thanks Jocelyn,
Wendell
Hi Jocelyn, its been awhile! 🙂
This quote really caught my eye as my ten year high school reunion is coming up in a couple of months. I’m talking to some old friends and they keep on saying ‘When did we get old’ and I keep on thinking that I didn’t think that I was old.
I completely agree with you that we only get old when we stop dreaming.
@Stephen – Nice to see you again, Stephen! I also say that to myself at times, not feeling old as others think I should haha. May we never stop dreaming and being truly alive!
We grow older each moment yet it is how we view the world through our eyes. Its not a technical explanation but the understanding that as children we were filled with awe and baggage was something that we took on family trips. The very young and some of the very old you can see this look of wonder, appreciation and love without condition; the wonderful smile is a giveaway!
Dave
We grow old when we become parents and ou children grew up
We grow old when we burden life on my shoulder
We grow old when we realize that life is too short and we still don’t complete something