My Anywhere But Here Blog

“Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what happened.”

“The body whispers before it shouts.”

My mother used to say, “Old age isn’t for sissies.”

When I was younger, I would smile when she said it, thinking she was simply talking about gray hair and stiff joints. Aging felt like something that happened far off in the distance — to someone else, somewhere else.

Now I understand.

There truly is a younger person inside each of us, quietly wondering how the years moved so quickly. One day you are moving through life without much thought to time, and the next you are listening more closely — to your body, your energy, and the gentle signals asking you to slow your pace.

Because the body does whisper…

before it ever dares to shout.

Sometimes those whispers come in small, almost humorous ways:

the irony of going to bed early by choice,

the body negotiating with you in the morning before your feet even touch the floor,

the quiet bravery of continuing — even when the joints protest and the spirit gently encourages them to cooperate.

We laugh, because sometimes laughter is the most graceful way to accept what is changing.

Yet beneath the humor is something deeper.

Growing older requires courage.

Aging isn’t for sissies because it asks you to keep showing up — even when the news isn’t what you hoped for, even when the body feels slower than the spirit.

I used to always say, age is just a number — you’re as young as you feel.

But now I truly find myself questioning that. I’m discovering that the 60s are not always as easy as I once imagined.

Whether it is cancer or chronic issues, I am beginning to doubt that old philosophy. It no longer feels entirely like mind over matter. At times, it feels more like our bodies and our health help determine our mindset.

And yet, here I am — still trying to push the positivity meter higher in my life. Because deep down, I still cling to the familiar saying, “You’re as young as you think you are.”

I have always been a kid at heart, and I believe that has helped keep me going — mentally, emotionally, and physically. It continues to nudge me forward even on the more difficult days.

I look at my mother now and quietly say, wow.

In her 90s, she is in a wheelchair — not by choice, but because of physical ailments: a torn ACL, bone-on-bone knees, and the wear that comes with a long life lived. Yet her spirit has not faded. Most days she offers two familiar sayings. One we’ve spoken of often: “Old age isn’t for sissies.” And the other, said simply but powerfully: “Still here.”

In some moments, I know she is more than ready for heaven. But in other moments, she continues to push forward, gently motivating those around her. Even with a quote like “old age isn’t for sissies,” she reminds us to press on no matter our circumstances — until our final breath.

So I press on as well.

Believing that perhaps old age isn’t for sissies…

and that I must keep pushing myself — and maybe even encourage others — to stay positive and continue this journey called life.

In this season of life, I am learning to lean more gently into faith — trusting that every stage of our journey is seen and held by a loving presence greater than myself. Even as the body changes and the years move forward, there is a quiet reassurance in knowing we are never walking alone. Strength may look different now, but grace meets us exactly where we are, offering peace for today and hope for tomorrow.

The courage of growing older is not found in resisting time, but in walking with it — with humor in our hearts, wisdom in our steps, and the quiet strength to continue, one day at a time.