Gratitude & Disingenuous Complaining as we Grow Older

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🙏The Blessing of Disingenuous Complaints

I catch myself grumbling sometimes. Okay, a lot of the time.

A sore knee after a walk.

The way my back tightens after a morning of yard work.

The way everything cracks, snaps, and pops first thing in the morning

—and none of it in time, or in key.

Getting up off the floor after sitting there for a half an hour now feels like an Olympic event.

And let me tell you, there’s nothing humorous about it, nor any gold medal at the end!

The body I once pushed through the Army, twelve-hour factory shifts, and more than a few twenty-four-hour parties is no longer quite so forgiving.

For those of us at a “certain age,” you know exactly what I mean.

So yes, I complain. About traffic, prices, young people today, loud cell phone talkers, parking, and broken ice cream machines at McDonald’s.

All justified, of course—or so I tell myself.

But here’s the truth: my complaints about getting older are disingenuous.

They’re theater. Just noise layered on top of a life that, by all accounts, has been a blessed one.

If you press me, I’d admit it—my “complaints” are punctuation marks. A little color commentary to remind myself that yes, I’m getting older, but no, it’s not the end of the world.

Family, friends, health, good fortune, and a decent career—when you boil it down, the trajectory has always kept climbing.

Life has been a roller coaster, sure, but from where I started to where I stand now, I have so much to be grateful for.

I’ve seen enough, lived enough, and lost enough to know that aging is a privilege. Every wrinkle, sore joint, and moment of slowing down is proof I’ve had time many never got.

Complaining without gratitude is easy. Complaining while recognizing just how good life has been—that’s perspective.

It hits me sometimes in the small moments. Like when I find myself irritated over a 30-minute wait at a top-tier restaurant.

Then the voice kicks in: Dude, you’re at a four-star restaurant. Sit down. Be happy you can do this with your family.

Things I thought I wanted oh so badly while I was young and chasing success, seem distant and not quite as important today.

Shiny and new takes a distant backseat to old acquaintances, and family.

I find simple places and activities that I would have said "once upon a time meant something to me", really still do, and more so than I ever thought possible.

That turn of mind—gratitude poking through the noise—is what keeps me grounded.

This is the first little nod to some things on my mind lately. A short series of what I’m calling "Getting Older": Field Notes.

A little journey through what it means to age—gracefully, stubbornly, humorously.

Sometimes it’ll be lighthearted (yes, I’ve taken up bowling and literally got back on the bike).

Further testing the knees and lower back.

Sometimes it’ll be sobering (watching parents fade with age is a trial none of us escape and can never really be ready for).

But all of it will be honest.

Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: you can’t dodge getting older.

But you can decide how to walk, stroll, bike—or dance into the sunset—into it.

And the only way worth doing it is with grace and gratitude.

Keep watch for the next post in this series "Bowling Balls and Bicycle chains"!

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Watch for the next in the series.