A Positive Outlook on Ageing

Age is a funny old thing, isn’t it? We spend the first half of our lives desperate to be older, and the second half wondering quite how we got here so fast. It’s one of life’s great ironies — and one I find myself thinking about more and more.

The ID Years

When we’re young, we’re desperate to look older. We want to sashay past the bouncer without being confronted at the door. We want to stand at a bar and order a drink — without having to rummage through our bag for proof of age.

‘Oh, she looks so grown up for her age’

Then the years roll on, and (all of a sudden) being asked for ID is the most thrilling phenomenon imaginable.

The frisson of anticipation — willing the bar-tender or shop assistant to say ‘I’m sorry, do you have any identification on you?’ — when you purchase alcohol is palpable.

And when it begins to dwindle (then dry up altogether), we miss it more than we’d ever care to admit.

The Tipping Point

There’s a moment, isn’t there, when we shift from wanting to be older to desperately wishing we were younger? It’s not necessarily about looks (although, heaven knows I’d love to reclaim my 20-something skin). It’s more about time.

The acknowledgement that the sands of time are running out. Not just for us, but for ageing family members too.

At the time of initially writing this post, my husband and I were lucky enough to have both of our parents. I wrote about how much I loved things as they were. Right then, in the moment. And how, if I were able to, I’d have liked to hit the pause button.

Less than a year and a half later, during Lockdown 2020, we lost Richard’s mum. Then my father-in-law a couple of years after that.

Revisiting this post is a good reminder for me to practice mindfulness and cherish the ordinary.

The Best Before Date

We all reach a point where the years start speeding by so rapidly.

The phrase ‘I can’t believe Christmas is here again already‘ seems to be bandied about with regular abandon. Along with:

‘I can’t believe it’s —

• Summer
• The Olympics
• The World Cup
• My birthday — AGAIN ALREADY?!’

(Delete as appropriate.)

The decades stack up, and instead of feeling excited — as I absolutely did when I hit 30; the 20s seemed to drag on forever — there’s a definite air of panic as you near another big one.

And yet, it’s not really about wanting to be younger either. It’s the stark realisation that we humans have a shelf life, and the awareness that our “best before” may have already passed.

I wish I could be the person I am now, but with another decade added to my account.

But anyway. I sound like I’m teetering on the edge of a midlife crisis. Mid-life, maybe. But crisis? Nope. Definitely not. (Not yet, anyway.)

Embracing Getting Older — with Gratitude

Here’s the thing about embracing getting older: it takes practice, and it requires gratitude. My now fifty-something self is so grateful for the life she has.

For my beautiful boys. For our family and our friends. For the laughter lines on my face, which bear witness to the wonderful time I’ve been having. For the scar on my abdomen, that tells the story of the children I brought into the world. For the curves that show I’ve been living well and eating too much good food.

For my extraordinary, ordinary, brilliant life.

And that, really, is what a positive outlook on ageing is all about — not denial, not filters, not desperately chasing something you’ve already had. It’s the recognition that you’re here.

Alive and kicking.

Ageing Gracefully — On Your Own Terms

I think the concept of ageing gracefully gets a bad press sometimes. It’s often used to mean ‘quietly’ or ‘without complaint’ — as though getting older is something to be endured with a stiff upper lip and a sensible cardigan.

I’d like to reframe it.

Ageing gracefully, to me, means growing into yourself. Knowing what you think, what you want, what you won’t put up with anymore. It means prioritising the things that improve your mental health — and not feeling guilty about it for a single second. It means feeling good about getting older, not despite the years passing, but because of everything those years have given you.

Grey hair and a few wrinkles aside, I’m here. And that — really, truly — is the most marvellous thing of all.

Many thanks to Chloe — Picture Taker Memory Maker — for the wonderful pics!

NB: Editor’s Note.

This blog post was originally published 25 January 2019, then updated on 17 May 2026.