When I say that Age is Relative, I mean that the age of your relatives determines your age. You will always be younger than your parents and older than your children (unless some mad genetic scientist finally makes it possible for me to be my own grandmother - perish the thought!). Also, the relatives who age me the most are my children. I would show you all of the grey hairs my children have given me, but I pay my hairdresser substantial amounts of money to make the grey hairs go away.
I was at a family reunion recently, and I suddenly realized that most of my cousins are grandparents now! How did that happen? It used to be that only old people were grandparents! I personally escaped this young grandparent phenomenon by waiting until I was old to have children. I recall discussing this decision with my doctor. I was 27 at the time. He told me that the best years to become pregnant are between 18 and 25. I told him that these are not the best years to raise children. He told me that at my age it might already be difficult to conceive, and that I shouldn't be surprised if it took six months or longer. I was back in his office two weeks later looking at a positive pregnancy test. (My husband is still disappointed that we never got to experience trying to have a baby.)
Another weird thing about aging is how suddenly all of the professional people in my life - doctors, teachers, therapists - are all getting younger. I recently asked my neurologist if he had graduated medical school yet. Amazingly enough: that young man had already practiced family medicine for five years and then went on for however many years it took to become a specialist. I personally think doctors ought to be old enough to look grandparentish, so you feel more comfortable wearing those hospital gowns around them.
Music teachers are also getting younger. When I was a teen, I took guitar lessons from a very old teacher. He must have been at least twenty-five! I recall having a hope that I could be as good a guitar player as he was when I got to be that old. Unfortunately, I didn't practice enough. Many years later, I dusted off my guitar and tried again. This time I got a really young teacher. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five! I realized that I must have missed a teachable stage somewhere.
So, my friends - always remember and never forget that you will never again be as young as you are at this moment.
Love,
Mommy Bear
