Why You Mustn't Grow Old, Ever

My darling beautiful momma is in her mid-60s now. Her walk and mien carry stories of toil; of age and frailty and strife that a vagarious world threw at her.

But you will never–indeed ever–know a person younger than my mom once you have met her: I know she'll love you and you'll love her.

For a person who’s now readying for the sunset years, mom still squirrels away anything that’s tiny, cute and colourful:

* Colourful little cell phone bags

* Anything pink and yellow
* Slippers with tiny yellow ribbons
* Toasters with teddy bears
* Colourful crockery
* Biscuit containers that have flowers on them

You’ll find her even carefully arranging tiny cars and dolls my nephews and nieces keep at our place for the weekends.

And yes, Mom loves–I mean deeply loves–football. Anyone from my family will tell you that there’s one 60+ years old deaconess in Nagaland who stays up till 2:30 AM watching European Premier League.

Momma, a 60+year old women leader with Dimapur Lotha Baptist Church, I tell you–I swear to you–also loves (I swear again)

* Van Helen
* Michelle Branch
* Whitney Huston
* Roxette 
* White Heart
* Petra
* Eric Johnson

I swear.

Her phone is filled mostly with classical and rock guitar instrumentals, Christian rockers Petra and classic hard rock Van Halen hits, besides the usual menu of hymns and worship songs. She listens to them literally every night. Just ask my brothers and sisters and nephews / nieces and cousins.

And yes, Mom has dreams to travel to Israel and Venice one day. She wants to take out a safari in Africa. She reads English literature to improve her English. She loves The Voice and So You Think You Can Dance.

She wants to take a course in tailoring. She loves running shoes and Sneakers although she can barely walk briskly. She wants to meet MP Neiphiu Rio and give him a message about what Jesus Christ wants Naga leaders to do.

October 1 is International Day for the Elderly.

But I tell you, the day is not to celebrate the accomplishment of age–it is to celebrate lives and life.

Mom has taught me a truth: age and beauty were never connected in any way.

Only when you have given up on your dreams, you will have lost your youth finally. Let’s never grow old.

I hope you never grow old, my friends. I hope your heart will never know age.

The day you let go of your dreams, will be the day you start to age.

Don't.