Growing up is an amazing thing when you think about it. Our bodies mature. Our limbs stretch out. We add bulk to our tiny forms. Hair appears in all kinds of places. Our teeth come in and eventually fall out. Our senses get stronger but weaken with the years. Having had the wonderful experience of holding my newborn and only great-grandson on two separate occasions this week has given me a look at how beautiful the process of growing up becomes as we age. There is nothing we can do to stop the progression, but I’ve learned in 82 years of living to never stop playing, laughing or enjoying life. Even when you can’t find anything worth laughing about.

Some might call me cockeyed or a little crazy, but this thought process as served both my husband and me through 60 years of marriage and 8 years of knowing each other before then. We’ve been through countless difficulties during those years, but we continue to have fun even during the hardest of times. Many may think of me as not wanting to grow up or give up. When you can laugh through adversity – when you can enjoy the life God has given you – when you can turn darkness into light – I believe that is a good life. So instead of simply waiting to grow up or waiting to die, we continue to bring humor into our otherwise depressing situations. We talk in a Minnesota accent as we drive through the Scandinavian towns around us. We laugh at misspelled or inappropriate closed captioning. We brainstorm ideas for new stories. We laugh at our own shortcomings. We share life with each other in a joyful way. We press on for the prize.

The deadly “C” word has consumed much of the past fifteen years. Add to that heart issues, an aneurism on the brain and many assorted maladies. We could’ve given up a long time ago, but instead we prayed and continue to do so. This isn’t a cure-all for healing, but it gives us time with the Creator of the Universe. What a gift that is. He will hear our prayers and answer them in His time and way. Maybe not always as we pray them, but in His wisdom and according to His plan.

So, as I looked at this perfectly formed life in my arms, I hoped I might be able to show him how to do the same. There will be times when he can’t wait to grow up. He will get angry with the rules required of him. He will try to control things by himself. He will develop physically, emotionally and spiritually. God has a special future all mapped out for him, and it will be wonderful. Becoming older can be overrated, but walking through life with God only gets better each day.