Love

Written by Grace Pow
 
When I was a child, my grandma looked very old to me because she had a lot of white hair when she was in her 50s. In a child’s eyes, ‘50’ is considered to be old.
 
My buddies and I always shared our aspirations when we were in secondary school and university. Once in a while, we dreamed of being an ambitious woman who would do our best to pursue our career or being a good wife and mother. At that time, it would be a long way before we turned 30. It would definitely be too far away for us to experience the life of a golden ager. So it was impossible to imagine how we would look like with our white hair. In fact, we had never thought about what we would be like after 40 years old.
 
I just considered myself to be mature throughout the 20 years after graduation. It was indeed shocking for me to find the 1^st streak of grey in my hair. Compared to my grandma, my ageing came even a few years earlier. For me, it was unacceptable. Apparently, I started colouring my hair and kept telling my friends hair dye is the greatest invention in the world.
 
I used to think that it’s indeed very old to be 50+. The elderly are fragile and vulnerable. Their old-fashioned mindset can never catch up with the trend. They are approaching death. One day, I read about a traffic accident in the newspaper and learnt that an injured woman was the same age as me. My goodness! She was described as an old woman. Suddenly, I realised I was already 50 years old – same age as my grandma many years ago. Didn’t I consider her as an old woman at that time? But I just could not accept the harsh reality and prayed that I would never have any accident in public. Otherwise, I would be identified as an old woman too!
 
I am 60 this year – another crucial turning point of my life. Unlike in the past, I do not feel restless but hopeful now. Some golden agers, e.g. Ms Iris Apfel, Ms Deborah Woo, a few good friends who are in their 70s and 80s and my 90-year-old Papa, have changed my opinions about the elders. They believe health is wealth. Dressing up helps to boost their self-confidence. They also love learning and accept new challenges, such as searching information and booking restaurants online.
 
From them, I finally understand age is just a number. A positive attitude towards life can certainly lead to happy aging.