Remember how good it felt to goof off as a child? When laughter came easily, skipping and jumping brought the simplest joy? Relaxing and letting go at the end of the day … no problem. Sleep, oh I remember sleeping so well as a child.
Then we grow up, as we should. But while taking on grownup worries and tasks, there’s a part of us — I know this is true for me — that stays young. We’re young at heart.
I still want to laugh, and I do, giggle and goof off. Granted, I’m not what’s referred to as old at 43, but hey, that jumping I did as a child does a number on my joints now.
I feel the changes, oh, yeah. The aches, the inability to stretch and exercise as well as I did. But dang it, I still want to have fun. Get together with girlfriends and act silly, go to carnivals and amusement parks, put on make up just because, and color my hair in rainbow colors. And dance, oh, I love dancing. 
I lived in Europe in my teen years, when ABBA were big. Disco dance, remember? “Dancing Queen Feel the beat of the tambourine, oh, yeah …”
I don’t do all those things mostly due to lack of time, but I squeeze some in. And why not? If fifty is the new thirty, then forty is the new twenty, right? Can’t say I was all grown up at twenty, though I did a great job pretending I was.
I sometimes see people of a certain age on the street dressed and made up as if they’re never too old to be young at heart. And I say, good for them. Laughter comes easily to them, I can tell, and that’s wonderful. Laughter is good medicine, good for the soul, contagious. All true. When I laugh — I mean really laugh — I feel good.
So, here is to staying young at heart and celebrating your inner child. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go crank up Dancing Queen.
~~~ How do you stay young at heart?
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Photo credits: Young at heart, from galaguru.com; abba-dancing queen, from brokeassstuart.com
Silvia Writes 