Article by Juliet Young
Surely a surname cannot influence our outlook on life. But in my own family the Young women have always certainly lived up to their name.
Grandma Peggy was like a wind-up toy, moving non-stop (especially her mouth), walking faster than everyone around, to the point that we lost her on several occasions because we just couldn’t keep up. She travelled incessantly right up to the end of her ninety-one year old life, always full of boundless energy and joy. She never became old in her eyes or anyone else’s.
My own mother, now eighty-two, doesn’t look a day over sixty-five. She is always impeccably dressed, wearing jeans, sparkly trainers and most recently a cool little pink satin bomber jacket. But she pulls them all off brilliantly. She is sometimes a bit wobbly on her legs after a hip replacement operation but she looks and feels way younger than her years.
Twenty-one in my head
Then there’s me, fifty-one on my passport but twenty-one in my head. Less on some days! I just cannot accept that at this age I have to become someone mature and serious. Someone I have never been and undoubtedly never will be. I love to dance, to sing, to laugh, to read and to write. All these little moments keep me happy and young!
But I know of course that it’s not in the name but purely in the nature. My Grandma Crawford at eighty was still skipping along the street, chanting our favourite made-up song entitled Rumpty-Tum. She walked down the road to do her ‘messages’ (shopping) every day of her life. She never moaned, never complained, never seemed to age. She was the epitome of optimism and youth, right up until she died at ninety-eight years old.
And I think that the key for all of us is there. Optimism. It keeps us looking forward to life with hope and desire. If we can be confident that the next day will be bright then we can allow ourselves to try to shine each and every day.
Of course life throws bucketfuls of cold water onto our optimism. Health problems, career issues, divorce or the death of loved ones all take their toll on how happy we feel at any particular time.
But if we hold onto our little seed of optimism, replant it, water it, nurture it and love it then hopefully we can all walk through life as serenely and happily as possible.
Optimism brings serenity. Serenity brings happiness. And happiness keeps you feeling young and fabulous, at any age.
So whatever your name, you can change it. We can all be Ms Young at Heart.
For more insights into what makes me feel young and happy take a look at my blog below and feel free to follow me.
Juliet Young is the author of the blog – omgimfifty which she decided to create on turning fifty last year. She describes it as a self-indulgent observation of moments which make her laugh or moments which make her cry at this new stage of life.
Originally from Glasgow, Scotland she now lives in France with her husband and two daughters. She works in an English language school when she is not writing. Her next plan is to start working on a full-length comical book about being married.
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