100 Years

Okay, I'm only 32 years old, but the song 100 Years by Five For Fighting has really made me stop and think about growing older. If you don't know the song, it's featured on a commercial for Chase credit cards where the guy is young and has an amazon.com card, then he has kids with a Disney card, and then he is older with an AARP card (and yes, I am obsessed with commercials).

Anyway, my husband's grandfather is turning 94 next month, and I just recently started thinking about him looking at his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren (no great-great's yet), and remembering his life at each of those stages. It's so easy in our youth-centric world to forget that our older people do have thoughts and feelings and memories. They started out as little whipper-snappers, suffered through Jr. High, asked someone on a date, asked someone to marry them, interviewed for jobs, maybe got fired, had babies, watched them go out on their own and start the cycle all over. I know that in the past I have been too quick to dismiss older people as irritating burdens. It has been an awesome experience to know my husband's grandfather - and to gain a new perspective on the olderly. I love him - and there's never a wish better than this when you've only got 100 years to live.

100 Years recorded by Five for Fighting (totally download worthy)

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind
I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star
15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live
Half time goes by
Suddenly you’re wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...
I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are
15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
Every day's a new day...
15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live