Vanity may not be your best option.......

Something that has always puzzled me. It doesn't matter what walk of life you come from ...... What nationality ....... What race ......... Or even size, age, shy, or not........ It never ceases to amaze me how vain we are.

I sat for a long time today watching one of the seniors at work, struggle with how well she wrote her name. She sat talking with a social worker and myself, during a care conference, and was ask to sign her name when we were finished. This lady hesitated to sign, proclaiming her handwriting wasn't what it used to be. Wanting to preserve her dignity, we offered a piece of paper, at her request, to practice, of which she wrote her name several times, very slowly and carefully, before agreeing to sign the paper we offered her.

It's no different than watching yourself walk down the street and seeing your reflection in the store front glass, thinking to yourself that couldn't be you. You don't remember your profile being that out of shape. Or you hair style looking that as it does. Or your clothes looking that un-kept.....or the graying in your hair.....Or.....Or......Or............

When I first started working with seniors, one of them told me she didn't look like herself. What she said that day stayed with me a long time. I must say, I didn't quite understand what she was talking about at that time. As I age, I understand what she was talking about to well.

I was in the ladies room today washing my hands for lunch and looked up into the mirror to see someone I recognize, but it sure didn't look like what I thought I would look like when I got to be this age. What I felt on the inside didn't quite match what I was seeing on the outside. And no, I didn't just realize this. It sure helps me to be a lot more compassionate with our aging residents.

Isn't is wonderful that we are all unique and different. And no matter how much we age, our individuality and kindness can speak for themselves. The old saying that our grandparents used to tell us true after all. A nice young lady will be a nice old lady. And a beautiful young lady will be a beautiful old lady. Isn't it great that as we age, mellow, mature, what ever you want to call it, we are able to develop relationships with people for more than face value. Maybe watching our own bodies change, we hope others will look at us with a more forgiving lens and give us the opportunity to show them what we are made of too.

I've worked with seniors for a very long time and have learned there are a lot of wonderful souls out there, who have taught me what kind of person I want to be when I grow up. A little love, compassion and time go a long way no matter how old you are. What's that old saying, As we age we don't loose our beauty, it simply moves from our faces to our hearts. That senior I was working with today sure showed her beauty, and she didn't even know she was doing it.

Don't be too proud, to vain to show you true colors. And don't be too hard on yourself. God made us all is his glory. We are what and who he intended us to be. Living in his grace will be more that enough. Do all that you can and God will do the rest.

God Bless. Good Night.