The Fountain of Youth is Real

Don’t you know that it’s worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart.
For as rich as you are, it’s much better by far
To be young at heart.

Last night, for about 40 minutes, I found the Fountain of Youth. It was there, right beside us as we ran lap after lap on the black asphalt track. Because I was with youthful people, I was caught up in a whirlpool of energy and humor and earnestness and ambition.

Sometimes I forget that I was born when Eisenhower was President, before the Beatles invaded the United States, and before the Cuban missile crisis. Fun shared with others can sustain us such that we forget our sense of time.

And the fun we have! In this year alone, we’ve done an escape room, a coastal bike ride, a birthday workout, a scavenger hunt, an adult summer camp, a downhill mile, rock climbing, a solar eclipse viewing, a surprise birthday party, book clubs, and more, with more to come.

Of course, none of this fully constitutes a meaningful life. But a meaningful life needs to include friends, family, and adventures.

How do you cultivate a spirit of youth? You use your imagination. Recently, we were doing a workout at the local elementary school when my friend Sarah’s son climbed a 20' pole and gave us a yell. Now, Sarah could have reacted with fright upon seeing her son far off the ground. Instead, we vowed that we, too, need to climb this pole. And we will!

My mother died at age 35, which seems awfully young to me now. Because of the situation in which I found myself, I had to grow up faster than one would like. I had to think about health insurance and paying bills and applying for financial aid, all with little help. I can’t help but think how happy she would be to see her son living out the life she was denied.

When the time comes to age gracefully, I will do that. For now, I will continue to drink deeply from the Fountain of Youth whenever it’s near.