What improves with age?

A face book friend of mine recently turned 47 and thanked her facebook friends for the birthday wishes. But she also added that even though the “wisdom of age” is great, it is unfortunate that age comes with other added attachments including aches and pains and hormonal imbalances. To which others added a variety of physical pitfalls of aging including dementia, failing eyesight and hearing. And finally, someone suggested the ultimate statement of all, that actually when we think about it, absolutely nothing improves with age.

Gosh! Really? Absolutely nothing? Life just became bleak all of a sudden. That’s like saying it’s all downhill from this point onwards. Really? Is there absolutely nothing about being human improves with age?

Then last friday evening driving home from a dinner function, i had an epiphany. Something does improve with age and it’s not something that one needs to think hard or work hard at, well not really.

Having recently caught two of movies which showcases more 'mature' female juxtaposed against younger female characters, i am struck by how self assured the elder women are. In both Mama Mia and Julie/Julia, in which Meryl Streep plays the older female character, the younger characters, played by Amanda Seyfried and Amy Adams in the two movies respectively, looks on to the older woman for some form of ‘guidance’ and assistance. In both films, Streep’s characters, albeit uncertain about various aspect of her life, does not appear to show any outward insecurity. In fact she appears to take the pressures of living in her stride. The young women in both films, albeit attractive and in a relationship, for various internal conflicts, appear more self preoccupied. Recalling the plot and character development of the two movies, I am struck by how similar they are in the theme of the availability of empowerment especially in the older female characters.

So there! One thing does improve with age, self assurance! When it happens I can’t say but at some point in time the tables are turned. The one who use to seek assurance from others is now endowed with the ability to ‘bestow’ assurance on others younger. And so the cycle continues.