Magic Women

The other day I asked our ward clerk for a list of women in our congregation that are over the age of 50. I’m contemplating setting up a secret grandmother program between the young women and some of the older women, and I wanted to know who exactly we are working with.

In reading through the list, truthfully, I was a little shocked to see some of the women who were there, and where they fell in the age order. It made me realize again, that after you are a certain age, it just becomes a number, and has almost nothing to do with how you look or act.

There are women that I would have guessed much older, and women that I would never have guessed would be on a list of “old people”, except maybe to look at the ages of their kids.

I wonder what it is that makes people so much younger in spirit?

I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately, keeping in mind that in only a few short years, my name will work its way to the bottom of that list. I’ve been watching, and analyzing – so grateful to have examples of friends of all kinds to help me know who I want to be when I hit that magical time. I don’t want to be a grouchy old woman, who is difficult to get along with. I want to be one of those magical older women, who always has a sparkle in her eye, and remembers to ask you how your daughter’s ballet recital went.

As far as I can tell, it takes some time to create that magical person. It’s not like you just decide one day to be the kind of person who is always happy, or who has interesting experiences to share. It’s something you work on, practice, and build for years before you’re really good at it.

One thing that all Magical Women have in common is that They Don’t Complain. Not about their health, their husbands, or even the weather. They find something nice or exciting to say about anything. I don’t know if it comes from the wisdom of knowing that complaining and whining doesn’t really change anything, or if they’ve just figured out that nobody wants to hear it. Seriously – nobody wants to hear it.

Add to that the fact that Magical Women are Interesting. These are women who have not let their whole being become encompassed by motherhood, or any one thing that might define them. They have experiences to talk about, because it’s important to them to experience life. They learn languages, try new restaurants, preach the gospel, run marathons, travel the world, and volunteer at the hospital, the temple, and the school. They have interesting stories to tell from their lives, and the stories are new and fresh, not the same stories over and over, because they know that experiencing life means there’s always something new and fresh.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that they’re Willing To Share. They share their recipes, their homes, and their hearts. They only share advice when they are asked. (That one is HUGE by the way!)

I’m not trying to criticize anyone. I know that everyone has different life experiences, and sees thing in their own way. I’m just trying to figure out who I want to be.

I kinda think it’s not as much about who you are right now, as it is about who you choose to create.