Believe it or not there is beauty in aging

        Aging is one of the most beautiful things our intricately created bodies go through in life.
    I know it may be hard for someone to think aging and beauty can be synonymous, especially for someone who has lived many years on earth, but please believe me when I say that it’s true.
    The beauty in aging is evident in the way a person’s unique design and sparkle in their eye never cease to change, even after cataract surgery. Beauty can be seen in the wrinkles a person slowly is awarded, almost like trophies, after continuously conquering milestones in life.
    There is beauty in hardened wiry hands that itch to tell numerous stories of hard work as they hold precious grandchildren with care.
    For you the reader, it would be very easy to completely write off those last couple of paragraphs given the fact that I am still in my 20s. Please don’t! As I wrote those words, images of my beloved grandparents and parents came to mind — people who I think are some of the most amazing and, dare I say it, beautiful people in my life!
    I think it is a pure shame that society has continuously preached that wrinkles, sags, bags, loss/gain of hair, etc. is “ugly.”
    My dad is quickly nearing his 60s, and it has been interesting to observe both the physical and mental aging process.
    One of the privileges I have had since moving closer to my parents is getting to spend more time with my dad. In my teen years I spent a lot of time avoiding him or writing off anything he said in the usual teenager fashion.
    That selfish mentality is gone forever, and he has graciously forgiven me and my actions.
    It is absolutely amazing getting to know my dad as Steve, and to hear his story all the while learning to appreciate his “dad” humor.
    When we talk, we both share what is going on at work, what  needs to be done around the farm, politics, etc. Anything and everything is fair game. Our conversations have recently been focused on overall health, and filled with the agonizing wait that comes with doctor appointments and tests.
    Call me ignorant, but I was not aware of the many appointments and tests a person has to go through as their body ages. It is both nerve-racking and terrifying to watch a loved one go through normal colonoscopies and standard blood tests.
    I’m a worrier so when it comes to checking for any type of diseases or cancer, I’m a stressed-out mess. My dad however? He is as cool as a cucumber, or at least on the outside he is. It’s actually kind of nice to have the tables turned, and instead of him asking if I’ve changed the oil in my car, fed the cows, paid my bills, etc., I now can ask him a million times a day if he has taken his medicine or dissect what he had for lunch, and suggest more vegetables — all in love of course.
    One thing that has been — I’m going to use that word again — beautiful to watch as my dad has gotten older is the shift in his approach in taking time off and relaxing.
    He still is one of the hardest workers I know, but he is more inclined to now take a Saturday off and go on a spur of the moment road trip with my mom or just sit down and take a nap.
    In fact, last summer they packed up the cherry red 2005 Chevy Aveo and headed to California. Instead of staying in a hotel, they stopped at a Walmart, bought an air mattress and some snacks and slept in the desert.
 

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