The Young and the Old

For five minutes waiting in line at the post office this morning, I peeked into a woman's life, and wisdom.

Two older ladies were behind me, chatting. I missed the beginning of their conversation (they were strangers to each other). I came into this:

"I have an 89 year old mother! She lives with me..." said the African-American lady. "I am 75 myself!"

"Really! I just turned 70. Didn't want to..." said the Caucasian lady. I could see that she came in with a limp, and a cane.

"Why not?!" asked the African-American lady. She was stout, but cane-less, and well dressed (for coming to the post office).

"Oh...I don't want to get old! I want to be young forever!" replied the Caucasian lady.

"I don't! I don't mind getting old. Well...if I could be young again, I would want to be 23. My husband was still around, so were my kids. Life was good."

Then she went on: "Now they are all gone... I take care of my mother now... But ya know, my grandfather lived to be 105, and my grandmother was 95 when she died...so...I have a feeling I will be around a bit more. And that's okay with me, I look forward to it!"

It was then my turn to get help from the postal lady. For the first time in my going-to-the-post-office-life, I wish I had a little more time standing in line, to continue to eavesdrop on these two ladies as they relived their lives, one wanting the past, the other didn't mind the unforeseen future.

But the little glimpse I got from them was just enough to add a spring-of-wisdom to my steps as I walked home.

It's the attitude that counts. Young or old.