When I'm an Old Woman

Interacting with old women gives me a snapshot of my possible future. It gives me a picture of what's possible--for good or bad. I've come to conclusion that when I'm an old woman, I want to:

• Have good stories to tell so I don't have to tell the same ones over and over.
• Be involved in my community.
• Still be friends with the women that enrich my life today.
  
• Have young friends that replace my old ones that die.
  
• Help mothers with young children just make it through the day.
• Know when to keep my mouth shut and when to give advice.
• Have energy and agility.
• Not be bitter toward and about my husband.
• Finally have a clean house and laundry that's mostly done.
• Listen well.

One of my favorite stories is about an old Mennonite woman. I was working at a summer camp in Pennsylvania and visited a local church with the camp director my first Sunday there. It was a wonderful service with a warm congregation. They had a sharing time as part of the service and an elderly woman with beautiful white hair pulled into a bun stood up. She said, "I was praying this week and God revealed to me some areas in my life where He'd like to do some work. He was just pulling things out of the closet."

The story is so memorable because she looked like she was in her 70s and she was still growing and open to personal change.

Another lesson from that story is that you never know who you impact and how you impact them. I'm sure that woman has no idea that I still treasure her words.