E-Paper
Stay young at heart and in mind to live to the fullest
Spice of Life: If only we could break free from the shackles of ageing and stop feeling apologetic about it, our happiness quotient would skyrocket
My elderly friend was blushing when I gifted a pretty, long dress. It had been years since she had worn one, and her heart skipped a beat on seeing her secret desire unfold. Fumbling for words, she said she loved it, then modestly brushed it aside, saying that she was too old to wear it.
We grown-ups have these little desires that we keep stashing away in an obscure corner of the heart, and just won’t let the child in us come out for fear of disapproval from others. We too love to dance in the rain, sing to our heart’s content, or be in the basketball court, no matter how clumsy we were at it. There’s nothing wrong in the yearnings except the stamp of: It does not look good at this age. It often becomes difficult for a fit and smart granny to pick up a cycle and rally around the neighbourhood or to enjoy a softy at a tuck shop simply because it doesn’t suit her image.
Having entered middle age, I was brought to my own little guileless cravings that I had subconsciously started relegating to the past. I always wanted to age like the elderly couples dancing in the videos that popped on social media, or be agile like our own Milkha Singh in his golden years. Implementing those young dreams was a tough task because our minds were growing old faster than our bodies. Societal norms were taking over and fine-tuning age-appropriate behaviour as we were supposed to be mature and responsible.
I remember having a yen for lollipops. I stopped having them when I grew up, thinking they did not hold me in a good light. When my father-in-law learnt of this little liking, he started bringing lollipops as take-homes for the whole family on every birthday. My joy knew no bounds, and I was able to enjoy my treat.
Letting go once in a while and rejuvenating oneself, did add that sparkle to life. Some of my friends would wait to go on a vacation, where they would do whatever, they set their heart on. Others would look for a good excuse to slip into their idea of fun. One of my colleagues had started wearing sober colours in regular life, which were not much to her taste. She was eagerly waiting for her 25th wedding anniversary to don the brightest of colours, which she had a fancy for.
If only we could break free from the shackles of ageing and stop feeling apologetic about it, our happiness quotient would skyrocket. We would do a great service to ourselves if we create an opportunity rather than wait for one to fill our days doing what we like. It would have all of us talking about our present fun instead of wistfully remembering our heydays.
I plan to break the glass ceiling in my neighbourhood by dragging my lovely neighbours out of their homes when it rains the next time round. alkagaurkashyap@gmail.com
The writer is a Chandigarh-based advocate
