The Beauty of Growing Old

What do you think gets better with age?

It really depends on the person. Some grow older with grace, becoming softer, wiser, more patient. Others grow more rigid, perhaps a bit cranky, shaped by years of experience — both good and bad.

But in many cases, certain qualities do tend to deepen over time: Wisdom and perspective grow as life teaches lessons no book can. Self-acceptance becomes easier — we stop trying so hard to fit in and begin to feel more at peace with who we are. And patience often blooms — not from passivity, but from understanding that not everything needs to be rushed.

When I think of someone who truly aged gracefully, I remember my paternal grandfather. He lived past 90, always sitting in an easy chair on the front open corridor of our ancestral home. He spent his days in quiet prayer, watching us grandchildren run around, shouting, laughing, playing — and never once did he seem irritated. He looked at us with pure compassion and love, always smiling. I never saw him angry.

He treated everyone — even the field workers — with the same kindness and warmth. There was a deep peace in him, a quiet strength that came not just from age, but from the kind of life he chose to live.

Aging doesn’t guarantee wisdom, love, or patience. But for those who cultivate it, growing older can become something deeply beautiful — a quiet unfolding of the best parts of the human spirit.