When I'm 80

One of my very favourite bloggers, Faith wrote a post the other day about the woman she wants to be. Her writing often speaks really deeply to my heart. She writes honestly and beautifully about everyday things and the way they can be quite beautiful and her post had me tearing up quite a few times. 
She challenged me to write something similar so hear it is. 
You should definitely check out hers though. And her beautiful photography. 

When I am 80 and I look in the mirror the woman staring back at me will have lived more life than I can possibly imagine today. 
Her face and body will bear the marks of a life lived.

She may have never bought an owned a house but I hope she has been a home.
I want to have always had an open door and a well stocked fridge. 
An open ear and a well stocked pool of wisdom. 
I hope the messiness of my house doesn't just end when my kids get older and better at tidying up after themselves. 
I hope I'm never too fancy to have people over when there's a washing basket on the dining room table and dishes in the sink. 
I hope that she's finally mastered how to make soft pretzels and that she is never short of a kitchen hand. 
I hope that her walls still are covered with photos and precious pieces of art made by tiny hands. 
And I hope there's still a husband to chat theology with. 
We will have passed the baton on to the younger generation and I hope that our years will have taught us how to encourage and nurture them. 
I want to be the old lady at church who chats to the young ones and sighs at their babies remembering both how hard and how delicious those days were.

She may not have traveled the world but I hope she has walked many roads beside her friends. 
Rather than postcards on the wall I want to have memories in my heart. 
Hard roads. 
Joyous roads. 
Belly laughs and ugly cries. 
I want to see a sparkle in those eyes. 
I want to have never been too busy or important for my children. 
I want to have taken them on the adventure with us and find contentment as they grow and change. 

She may have not become famous but I hope she has the praise of one. 
I want to have just done the thing in front of me and been faithful in that. 
Whatever place I find myself at 80 I hope that I find myself there after small faithful steps, dreaming big dreams but knowing where the glory truly lies. 

She may not have had everything she wanted but I hope her heart is brimming with Peace Joy and Love. 
I want to look back on the hard days or the days I went without and see the good that was made through it all. 
I want to see all the things I was worried about through the lens of time and realise what is truly important. 
I want to be able to pinpoint on the map of my life the times when God was faithful through it all and in my heart rejoice.

And here's where I shamelessly steal a line because it was so awesome
I want to have spent my life and not saved it.
I want it to have been good and to sit in my old age with the contentment of a life well lived. 
Not an easy or necessarily a fun life. Not a fairytale or a trendy hipster existence but,
a good life.