Old people are beautiful

I stopped by the grocery store yesterday to pick up a few last minute dinner items. While there, I noticed the place was crawling with retirees doing their monthly shopping. They were everywhere!

Now, this is not the first time that I've visited my corner Safeway and observed the white-haired takeover, but in the past, I never really looked at these folks. Yesterday, for some reason, I was drawn to them... a little old man shuffling down the aisles, a few folks gathered in the near the rotisserie chickens, a nice lady slowly looking for the correct coupon. And, they were beautiful. I could visualize their lives in the lines around their eyes and mouth, the years of happiness.... and hurts. I, for the first time, really looked at them. I got choked up because they have something that I'm fearful of never having.... a FULL life. I envied the wisdom in their eyes. The stories in their smiles. For once, I didn't want to be young and naive, I wanted to be old and wise.

I'm sure I'll one day be old and wishful for a young life again. I'm sure this cancer thing is totally kicked, never to return, but.... there is that chance. Always THAT chance and it scares me to death.