Week 6: Young/Old

Young (left: Sarah)

Youth is a treasure - one that people are forever holding onto, and when lost, forever seeking out.

To be young is to discover, to be curious and full of fascination. It is to marvel at the way things work and to question the how and the why.

It is to lay foundations with mud and sand, to throw wishes into wells, and to cast hopes and dreams on the stars.

Youth is both tender and resilient.

Youth is sometimes stolen though, events can creep in that change yellow brick roads into twisted paths and uphill climbs.

Youth isn't always what it should be...

When I watch my son gazing out the window he is full of youth, shining with all that is new. He is open, receptive and ready to take on the world. I have so many hopes and dreams of my own for him, and one is that he holds on to his childish wonder for as long as humanly possible.

We are human after all, and there comes a point in everyone's life where youth changes into something else, when we go from building sand castles and imagining up playmates to dealing with real relationships and picking up the pieces.

What words do you associate with being young? How do you hold onto your youth? What makes you feel young? Do tell!

Old (right: Mary)

It’s quite remarkable how language transcends speech. How one can tell what someone is feeling without them having said a single word. It’s the simple smile or gesture of a person that can alter your mood. In these instances we see a common language isn’t always necessary.

I have become quite fascinated with the buildings and sights I see, the language of the people, and the nuances of culture I encounter as we travel. But, I’ve found that it’s the oldest sights that seem to leave the biggest impression on me. They are the things that spark that wonderful feeling of contentment.

It’s the mystery of ancient ruins, of once-upon-a-time empires, the crumbling buildings of past colonial rulers that strike me just so. Above all else though, the wrinkles on a face well-worn, the laugh lines of a person who has and continues to live their life with joy are really what stand out to me, when I think of the word ‘old’.