fearless and 93.
After my post asking why we work to avoid feeling fear I received the email below from my Great Aunt.
I read it so many times, I finally asked her if I could share.
It’s forty words. It’s one of the most powerful and thought provoking guest posts I’ve had.
<3
Aging quiets fears and acceptance enters.
I’ve learned to accept what I cannot change.
My losses are great, but I chose not to focus on them.
Perhaps it is because there are no longer listeners.
93 is a good year.
Allie says
November 20, 2015 at 4:39 amYES! 40 is also a good year.
Rita says
November 20, 2015 at 4:57 amBeautiful.
More words were not needed.
Jennifer says
November 20, 2015 at 5:11 amShe is one smart and fabulous lady!
Annmarie says
November 20, 2015 at 5:26 amI love the wisdom that those who have lived longer than us bestow. My 98 year old grandfather is full of awesome advice- I never take his little tidbits for granted!
Vonnie says
November 20, 2015 at 5:37 amI hope you also have printed this out and framed it.
Nicole says
November 20, 2015 at 5:52 amI wish I could express how much I love this. These words left me very emotional. My almost 99 year old aunt passed away two weeks ago and would have said the same exact thing. so much love. xo
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home says
November 20, 2015 at 5:55 amI hate to think that the listeners go away. My parents are going to a lot of funerals, it seems. I can’t imagine.
Susie @ Suzlyfe says
November 20, 2015 at 6:02 amWe shouldn’t fear aging. We should fear aging ungracefully. And we get to control the grace that we show the world!
Christy@ My Dirt Road Anthem says
November 20, 2015 at 6:12 amBeautiful post, thanks for sharing. It’s a little sad that we don’t get over so many fears until we are older. the things I would do different if I went back to high school and college now!
cheryl says
November 20, 2015 at 7:15 amIt’s never too late to go “back” and do those same things differently…
Jenn - a traveling Wife says
November 20, 2015 at 6:14 amThat’s beautiful! I fear fear, but fear will not get me through life. 🙂
cheryl says
November 20, 2015 at 7:15 amThat is true wisdom! You get that (sometimes) when you have lived awhile…
Maureen says
November 20, 2015 at 7:33 amI love those words of wisdom!
Jess @hellotofit says
November 20, 2015 at 7:35 amQuite to-the-point! Love it. Aging with confidence is something I aspire to do 🙂
Leanne@crestingthehill says
November 20, 2015 at 8:17 amshort and powerful – may we all live to 93 and have enough going for us that we can comment on blogs and love our age!
Shauna says
November 20, 2015 at 8:24 amOh! I love her! 🙂
Marcie says
November 20, 2015 at 8:29 amA wise, wise women. Hoping that I got her good genes.
Liz @ The Clean Eating Couple says
November 20, 2015 at 9:10 amOh how I love this. What a wise woman!
Heather Montgomery says
November 20, 2015 at 9:13 amSo much packed into so few words!
Susan Bonifant says
November 20, 2015 at 10:16 amWhat amaaaazing clarity. Just made me sigh. Lovely and memorable. Thank you, Carla.
Jennifer says
November 20, 2015 at 10:18 amVery wise lady!
Farrah says
November 20, 2015 at 10:28 amPowerful words. <3 I hate to think that listeners are going away though–I've been trying to always make it a point to listen to all my patients!
Donna says
November 20, 2015 at 11:38 amI am in the process of realigning my life because aging was something that happened to other people. Now I have to accept that I am aging and that it is ok. I need to read more like this
Felicia @ testozilla.com says
November 20, 2015 at 11:47 amThanks for sharing, 93 is a great path !
A 7 letter finish line:
Awesome ! )
Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says
November 20, 2015 at 12:07 pmThank you for sharing this, it’s beautiful. I read it like a thousand times too, acceptance is the word that stands out for me!
Karen McDonough says
November 20, 2015 at 12:17 pmWow! She’s awesome. I love her words. And is that an updated pic? If so at 93…wow she looks fantastic.
Fancy Nancy says
November 20, 2015 at 12:50 pm“Age quiets fear”…bring it on!!
Yum Yucky says
November 20, 2015 at 1:01 pmYour Aunt is stunning and looks 20 years younger than she is. I love what she’s said.
rebecca says
November 20, 2015 at 1:09 pmSuch wise words! ps she DOES NOT look anywhere near 93 yrs!
Jody - Fit at 58 says
November 20, 2015 at 1:52 pmWOW!
messymimi says
November 20, 2015 at 4:01 pmExactly. She’s the kind of 93 i want to be someday.
Kelly says
November 20, 2015 at 4:21 pmAmen! What an inspiration! Cheers to you both!
Gingi Freeman says
November 20, 2015 at 5:20 pmThe older I get, and the more friends I lose to disease and cancer and accidents.. the more I realize aging and growing old is BLESSING! Great post! <3
Debbie @ Coach Debbie Runs says
November 20, 2015 at 7:44 pmI am so happy that I have the honor of working mostly with older women. I learn so much. Much of our fear of aging is when we’re younger, talking to these women helps me know that, yes, 93 is a good year. Though 58 has been kind of tough 🙂
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
November 21, 2015 at 12:09 amYour great aunt is a wise lady. And she looks like a total bad ass!
Valerie says
November 21, 2015 at 6:42 amWise, wise words. You know me, every short, simple line is sparking a doctoral thesis worth of thoughts…
But oh, how true it is and right in line with some things I’ve been thinking lately. The older I get the more authentically me I dare to be. I can only imagine what 93 will be like.
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf says
November 21, 2015 at 7:36 pmThese words. Thank you (and your Great Aunt!) for sharing this wisdom here.
Coco says
November 22, 2015 at 1:15 pmSo inspiring. I would love to be fearless at 93!
Elle says
November 23, 2015 at 12:09 amYour great aunt is amazing. As they say, you get wiser as you age! I really like how she kept it short and simple, yet all her words were so full of impact.
Mark says
November 23, 2015 at 6:13 pmWise words from an obviously very wise woman.
Ask Helen says
November 24, 2015 at 7:04 pmAwww! This is beautiful and inspirational. And your aunt is lovely 🙂
Lucie says
November 24, 2015 at 8:09 pmCarla, you always have such beautiful, insightful posts. Now I know where you get it! It must run in the family! I always think the age I am is the best age yet!
Greg says
November 29, 2015 at 4:59 pmYou never get to kill the grief of loss as you grow older, you just get better at living with it as you experience it more often. With three losses this year on my mind, I’d like to think that I’m learning to cope with it like your aunt certainly has…
Cayanne Marcus says
November 30, 2015 at 1:00 pmBeautiful and inspiring in 40 words 🙂
KCLAnderson (Karen) says
December 6, 2015 at 3:18 pmThere is so much peace and freedom in this. I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way I stopped fearing death. I don’t want it to happen any time soon, but if it does, it’s okay. I think watching my grandmother go through the process of dying helped me.