WHEN ARE WE OLD?
I remember when I was a little girl, I used to think that anyone my mom’s age or older was old. This included my school teacher, the mailman, baseball players, sales clerks, etc. I now have an 12 year old daughter and I am sure she sees me as old! But just as I have learned and hopefully my daughter will learn, old is not defined by one’s age.
As my muse Mary Brooks Picken wrote in 1924,
“When does the etiquette of age bid us stop learning, stop being interested, stop growing in mental attainments? Surely, not until we shut our own minds and hearts against the idea.”
We can’t change the fact that we get older, but we can dip into the fountain of youth if we keep our minds, bodies, and soul fueled by continuing to learn, grow, read, experience and listen. This desire to learn and cultivate our personal interests is what will keep us forever young, no matter how many wrinkles we earn along the way. I recently read an article about a 90 year old woman who is designing tech products in Silicon Valley geared towards aging Baby Boomers. Amazing!
As Mary Brooks Picken said,
“No matter how many birthdays we have, we can be made young again by a new realization that mind development, intelligence, and the ability to make progress are matters of interest, not age; of incentive, not years; and that we must build our own generating plant and work to achieve, to grow, to learn, to find good everywhere, to find delight in the every day.”
In my book Vintage Notions, which is inspired by the teachings of Mary Brooks Picken’s work with the Woman’s Institute, I included many inspiring articles on aging gracefully, including; Counting Aright: Measure Birthdays by the Heart, Grow Young with the World, Growing Old Graciously, The Story Your Hands Tell and more. In today’s world, which seems to value youth above anything else, it’s helpful to read these reminders that age shouldn’t define your interest and activity.
My grandmother gave me many gifts in her time, but one that I especially treasure is a Bible in which she wrote “Live your life and forget your age”. She was such a great role model, remaining creative even as she aged. For instance when she was in her 60’s she tackled the challenge of painting landscapes and portraits. The picture above shows my grandmother, Mildred, myself and my mom Donna. We were on the way to my wedding shower, where everyone wore hats!
I hope that, as Mary Brooks Picken did with The Woman’s Institute, we have helped sewists of all ages with their craft. This year, after launching The Magic Pattern Book, I met so many women of all ages who are just learning to sew garments. I am so thankful that Indygo Junction has given me the opportunity to encourage people along their creative sewing journeys.
