Growing old is wonderful, thought it's not all giggles and glam. I like being able to be enthusiastic about something without having to worry about how I look to others--silly, over the top, feckless, whatever. I can enjoy living wholeheartedly.

Growing old is wonderful in the way I can understand the truth of the world, because every event has a perspective of decades behind it, not just months or years. I can see trends and patterns and the wholeness of life, not just its day-to-day happenings.

Growing old is wonderful because the experiences of the past enable me to know what to fear -- what is an authentic fear -- and what is merely anxiety burnished by anticipation.

Growing old is wonderful because there's still time to learn and to grow and to love. The Universe isn't finished with me yet.