In Here..........I'm Sixteen. A message.

Firstly, my auntie Vera, who is now in her early eighties, is not in the best of health at present and feels old, miserable and a bit sad.  I've put this collage together to show how timelessly gorgeous she is.

So, my friend's mum is in hospital.  At almost ninety years of age she has just had a, thankfully successful, knee operation.  However, at the moment, despite requests from staff and family she has decided she won't eat. My friend is working on this and has taken nutritious home-made soup in today to try and coax her.  I know why she won't eat, you probably do too. Hospitals aren't the best places to retain your dignity, whatever your age and at ninety, you don't have a lot else to maintain. 

 Old people weren't born old, some of us just find it hard to imagine them being young, and I wish more people in all sorts of settings (not just hospitals and care homes) would take the time to see the young person inside the old body especially as, with some luck, it will be you one day. I was close to my Nin and one of our many conversations was about age and how she felt about it. She said that when she looked in the mirror and saw an eighty year old face, she was often shocked because "In here (tapping her chest) I am sixteen."  This had a impact on me even then, in my twenties and I often think of it and the insight behind the words. I don't have a photo of her when she was very young but I love this one and always thought, no matter what her age, that she actually had a cute look about her!

The second photo is of another pal's gran, Minnie.  She lived until she was well into her nineties but I only remember her shuffling in for her Weetbix in the morning..........This is quite a risque photo for the time so I bet she was great fun and feisty.  Even having your hair down like this meant that you could only be, well, a  brazen hussy!!

I am what I would term 'young old' but with some luck and a few good genes, I hope to be 'old, old' and full of vim, vigour and a love for life.  I though, won't wait for anyone to find and show the photos of a younger me, I will be thrusting them in their faces!  I will remind whoever will look and listen that I too was once a sweet (sweet?) young thing...........and still sixteen in my heart, bless. Actually, I preferred about thirty seven - take me back now!