Grown-up Medium
By Jonathan Wood
My friend Lucy is four years old. She can be whiney. She can also be strikingly brilliant, displaying a curiosity for the world that ranges from bones and the skeletal system to how clouds are made. She's also the daughter of my best friend, which is how I come by this little snippet of conversation.
First, I should also share that I recently celebrated my 43rd birthday. Lucy made me cupcakes (with pink sprinkles). She also chose for me a card at the store that was covered in blue glitter (she knows this is my favorite color). Incidentally, the card also wished me a happy 18th birthday. This last bit had nothing to do with her choice. When you are four, your friends' favorite colors are THE deciding factor.
A few days after the birthday festivities (I ate three cupcakes!), Lucy peppered her mom with a series of questions about growing up. Among them:
1. "Mama, why did you decide to get older?"
2. "Mama, can you decide to stay younger?"
If this child does not grow up to be a philosopher, I will be most surprised! Indeed, these are pretty heady questions that get to the very essence of what it means to be alive.
I also love that she used the word decide because I do believe we have a choice not just about how we age, as well as what it means to be the age we are. My 43 looks vastly different from my parents' 43. This isn't exactly a huge surprise...I'm sure they felt the same way about their parents.
The part that really got me thinking was Lucy's phrasing - "deciding to stay younger" - and that I do believe we can make a choice to stay young. Obviously our physical body will age. This is a known quantity. And fine, I can deal with that. I also know that I don't want to become a grumpy, old man. I want to stay vibrant and joyful. Lucy, when I once asked her if she thought I was a grown-up thought for a moment and responded by labeling me Grown-Up Medium.
It brings me unparalleled delight to know that a child does not see me as entirely an adult because, truth be told, I don't see myself that way either. So as I begin settling into my middle years I'm excited to choose to be young. To nurture my spirit with things that delight my heart and soul. To live my life with blue glitter birthday cards!