There is a birthday coming up very soon in our household. It celebrates the life of our biggest hero, hardest worker, and anchor… known as Dad by the kiddos and “George” by me. Eric is finishing out his forties in fine fashion.

Today we had a bit of a laugh between us. In our transition to this new home, new jobs and new community, we have gone from feeling like we were of the younger age with our kids and our community, to we are just old… significantly so. We were noting that at a school sports event Eric was asked which grandson was his that was playing on the court. When we joined a marriage study at the church we are attending the majority of the people in our group and in the larger group were married 10 or fewer years (we are coming up on 25 years this July). A men’s group Eric has recently started attending he is between 7 and 15 years older than the others attending.

It has not been gradual… not like my choice to let my hair fade to gray. Nope, it has been like a light switch.

So we are embracing it. We even used this sudden move to “old age” to justify plans to design our backyard with a rustic cedar hot tub, reasoning it would aid in relieving our sore muscles and achy joints.

I am not sure how this move from feeling you are perceived as youngin’ to being mistaken as a wise old codger happens for others. I thought it would be gradual and slow and not slap you in the face.

We will continue to think young, act young and when necessary take Advil to keep up the pace of the best life we have been given.

In the meantime, one of us is celebrating a birthday this Wednesday, February 27th. Happy Birthday, George! May we stay young at heart and in our minds and may we build that hot tub quickly for when the reality of age catches up to us!