I’m sixty-four years old. Some mornings I wake up and feel positively old. Ancient. Decrepit even. Ready to be put to pasture.
Thankfully, those mornings don’t happen often. But sometimes, when the night’s sleep didn’t go as planned, well, I expect some of you know exactly what I mean.
I’m sixty-four years old. Old enough to know better, young enough to sometimes forget it. I suspect that those times I forget my age probably contribute to some mornings when I feel old. (Reminder to self: you cannot jump out of the back of a pickup truck anymore—it hurts and will hurt the next day, too.)
Nevertheless, I am sixty-four years old, and I have it on good authority that I don’t look it, nor do I normally act it. Except on mornings when I didn’t get much sleep the night before. On those mornings, I get a pass—a pass I have authorized myself to take.
Occasionally, when those nights happen, I might be just a little bit grouchy in the morning. Not only grouchy, but pitiful, too. However, it doesn’t last long because my wife has seized the power to revoke my self-authorized passes.
When she does, it’s brutal. She doesn’t yell or raise her voice. She doesn’t look at me like I’m stupid. Well, maybe just a little when I’m being legitimately dumb. No, she doesn’t lay down the law or drop the proverbial hammer. There are no threats or withholding of affection.
But like I said, when she revokes my self-authorized pass and I exhibit all the signs and symptoms of a grouchy old man, it’s brutal. Did I mention that it’s brutal?
Yes, brutal. She looks at me with a slight smile and a slight sideways cock of her head, and says, “Tell me what you have to be thankful for. Is this really the worst day of your life?”
Seriously. I’m working myself up for a “Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I think I’ll go eat worms” kind of day. I don’t want to count my blessings—I want validation. I want to be a grouchy old man, but I can’t. Like I said, it’s brutal. I don’t get to revel in misery for more than a few short moments.
And to make it all worse, she is unfailingly right! Like I said, it’s brutal, and I have to save my mumbling, grumbling pity party for when she’s not around.
I have an old friend who, on a self-acknowledged bad day, talks about walking on his bottom lip. I don’t get to take many steps on mine, and I’m glad. I’m glad to have someone who helps me see the day’s beauty despite my troubles.
Gratitude and thankfulness have the power to change your perspective. I’m thankful to be reminded. I hope you have someone who reminds you, too!
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)
Les Ferguson, Jr. is a minister and faith-based author. He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com
