NEVER TOO OLD!

Here's a hint at my mood today. This article previously appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of Once Upon a Time" magazine. Enjoy.

NEVER TOO OLD

My grandkids call me "Mema." They're so cute when they say it. I even admit to having a great grandkid. That's okay. I married very young.

My sons and their wives call me "Mom." I love it. One of my life's greatest rewards is being a mother.

My husband calls me "Beverly." Mm. That's my name.

I refer to myself as a children's author.

Some people consider me a senior citizen. I know, because at restaurants they automatically give me a senior discount. Now, I have a problem with that.

Perhaps Robert Browning said it best in his poem, "Rabbi Ben Ezra."

Youth ended, I shall try

My gain or loss thereby;

Leave the fire ashes,

What survives is gold;

And I shall weigh the same,

Give life its praise or blame;

Young, all lay in dispute;

I shall know, being old.

I like to think of me as living in my golden years: "The last of life, for which the first was made," according to Browning. When I was younger, I would not have believed him. But he was on to something. Now, I understand what he meant.

Consider me a recycled teenager worrying about a date for Saturday night, or that algebra test on Friday, or puzzled because my best friend has another best friend.

Consider me an adventuresome ten-year-old who still believes in magic and fairy tales, and who loves horses and fishing and decorating a Christmas tree.

Consider me an inquisitive toddler watching a butterfly on a flower, a raindrop racing down the windowpane, or cuddling in my mom's or dad's lap while they open new worlds to me through an enchanting book.

Yes, I treasure each memory of growing older. I enjoy every hour of every day God gives me. Which reminds me. Gotta run. My skateboard awaits, along with my character who is teaching me the basics of an Ollie. What's that, you say? I'm too old! NEVER!