Does Age Have A Sound?

Recently I was reading an emailed interview with a Mid Life Diva for an upcoming issue of the Musings Ezine when I found myself confounded by a question that I’d never considered before.

Kim, Owner of Overall Beauty (http://overallbeauty.com) during what she called her “Gripe of the Month” posed the question and I have to admit, I had to stop and think about it.

During her “gripe”, Miss Kim, a thriving Mid Life Diva with two “nearly grown” sons in their twenties, states that when she is communicating with others via telephone, she is often asked her age and is met with expressions of disbelief when she answers the question truthfully.

Kim is a proud-to-be Mid Life Diva. She is often told that she “doesn’t sound old enough to ...”, or “you don’t sound old enough to have grown children...” Or this one is my favorite “are you sure?” What?

Miss Kim asked the question that really made me pause to think and is the question that I would like to pose to all of you, my Counsel of Mid Life Divas: as worded so eloquently by Miss Kim, does age have a sound?

Having reached Mid Life, still alive and kicking, Kim further inquired if mid life should sound as if your life has been “super hard” and if we, as Mid Life Divas should sound as if we’re “worn out, beaten down or something”? She further inquired if being proud of who we are at this time in our lives has a sound?

Having reached Mid Life, how are we expected to sound? As if we just can’t go on? As if we just can’t face another day, another task, another mountain?

That’s not us. At this stage in our journey, our voices should be the loudest and the most influential voice in our ears. The voice that tells us that we are great - as is. We are loved, as we are. We are strong and will make it, come what may.

So I guess my answer would be yes, Miss Kim, age does have a sound.
Age sounds like music, the song in our hearts and minds that makes us want to rejoice and say “Go Girl!”, or get up and boogie. And yes, it is acceptable to shake your tail feathers!
She sounds like the wind, soothing, quieting and calming. Free from fear and anxiety. That sounds like peace.

She sounds like wisdom, knowing what to do and when to do it, applying knowledge with common sense and insight. That sounds like experience.

She sounds like confidence, being sure that you know what you know. Not feeling it necessary to brag that you know. That sounds like security.

She sounds like patience, when the young divas are flitting about to and fro, in such a hurry to get where you are, you understand that she has much work to do. Although she is patient, she will not suffer fools lightly, nor will she suffer those who may want to mistreat her for their own gain. That sounds like power.

 She sounds like love, for others and for yourself. You realize that family is who you choose to accompany you on this journey through life, not who you happen to share a gene pool with. It’s who you love and who loves you - for you, a gift given without compensation. That sounds like trust.

She sounds like strength, knowing that come what may, you can and you will make it. You will stand and you will conquer, as you have done countless times before and will do countless times again. You, Mid Life Diva, are more than a conqueror, you are a survivor, that sounds like victory.

She sounds like assurance, the quiet steel in your spine that holds you upright and true when everything around you seems to be crashing to the ground. That sounds like perseverance. And you will persevere.

She sounds like friendship, the ties that bind us as Mid Life Divas, partners during this journey. That sounds like a community in numbers that cannot be imagined. And together, our voices will reverberate like thunder.

And she sounds like life, accepting what you can’t change and changing what you can. And rejoicing and thriving in spite of it all. That sounds like a Mid Life Diva.

Kim also made a statement that will stick with me, and I hope that you will remember it too: when you have lots of joy in your life, you just sound younger. And I have to give it to Kim, you just sound wiser too.

Thanks, Kim for giving us all something to think about.