“It’s such a shame
to waste time.
We always think we
have so much of it.”
Mitch Albom

As I approach my 70th birthday, these prophetic words by Mitch Albom, from his book For One More Day, ring true. I have always believed that I have plenty of time to do all the things I’ve wanted to do in my life. And why shouldn’t I? I was young! As it always does, however, time marches on, and with each passing day, my youthfulness gets increasingly more distant in the rear-view mirror of life. 

Tomorrow, my oldest son, Tom, turns 38. Four days later, Steve will celebrate his 36th birthday. When I was actively involved in pastoral ministry, the term “young adult” was defined as men and women between the ages of 18 and 35. So even my two older sons are, by definition, no longer young adults. I could find this to be a bit unsettling, but I don’t.

When I was 18, I loved being 18. When I was 24, I thoroughly enjoyed being 24. The same can be said for every age of my life. Even turning 65, qualifying for Social Security and Medicare, I was at peace with being 65. I can honestly say the same is true as I approach 70. Am I old? No. Not at all. I’m getting older, yes, but I’m not old.

Just for fun, I looked up the word “old” on Dictionary.com. I was a bit surprised to find that there are 25 different definitions for the word “old” used as an adjective. Not surprisingly, the first few referred to being of advanced age. Definition #9 was a bit bothersome: “overfamiliar to the point of tedium.” Well, some of my stories and jokes might fit into this category, but I hope this definition doesn’t describe me! Definition #12, “no longer in general use” certainly doesn’t apply to me. Definitions #18 and #19, “experienced” and “of long standing” would be accurate. But #21 is downright insulting: “deteriorated through age or long use; worn, decayed, or dilapidated.” I don’t like this definition at all.

Of all the definitions for “old” offered on Dictionary.com, my favorite is #23: “sedate, sensible, mature, or wise.” This is a definition I can fully embrace, for it is how I would describe myself at this point in my life. 

I’m firmly convinced that “old” is not an age. It’s a mindset. A person is old when he believes that he has little to offer the world and those around him. A person is old when he has no vision of a preferred future. A person is old when he convinces himself that his life is no longer of value. This is why, despite the fact that I’m well aware that I am getting older, I am not old.

Getting back to Mitch Albom’s quote (above), I know that my time on this earth is limited. According to the 2021 report on Mortality in the United States published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the average life expectancy for an American male is 73.5 years. This could be an alarming statistic for me, but I have to remember that my Dad lived to the age of 82 and my Mom passed away just a month before her 93rd birthday. I’m also in better physical condition today than I’ve been in the past 45 years. Does this guarantee that I’ll live for twenty more years? No, not at all. Such guarantees don’t exist. When my time comes, it will come, whether I’m 72 or 102. Until then, I’ll do my best to keep my mind, body, and spirit in good working order.