You often hear about things you begin to dislike when you grow older, like driving in the city, shopping, or people in general. However, there are plenty of things you’ll grow fonder of as you get older, too. Here are a handful of examples. Do you agree?
1. Solitude
Everyone needs some alone time to unwind, relax, decompress, and release stress. However, we tend to go, go, go more in our youth, which often translates to being out and around more people. The older you get, the more you grow to appreciate solitude.
2. Early Bedtime
Do you remember rocking and rolling into the wee hours of the night? Having an earlier bedtime ensures adequate and rested sleep, which is seriously valued as you age. Nap times are also a welcomed event.
3. Having Nothing to Do
Do you remember complaining about being bored when you were a kid because you had nothing to do? What were we thinking? After you’ve matured into your thirties and forties, you long for days when you have nothing to do. No chores, responsibilities, work, or social plans. It is the best, but a rare experience.
4. A Healthy Work-Life Balance
We live in a world that obsesses over the hustle-and-grind culture of side gigs and second jobs. But as you get older, you realize that none of your employers genuinely value or care about you. You’re expendable. You’re replaceable.
Furthermore, you understand what you’re missing by working those hours, and you can’t get those moments back. So, finding a happy and healthy work-life balance is heavily appreciated as you age.
5. Being Young
You will never fully appreciate your youth until it’s gone. It sucks when those knees begin to get weak, and all your muscles ache when doing things you’ve always been able to do before!
6. Silence
As you age, you begin to appreciate the saying: “Silence is golden.” It really is, from not entertaining chatty coworkers to saying a lot less in life yourself. We live in a world full of noisy screens and distractions. Sometimes, peace and quiet are enjoyable.
7. Nature
Get me into nature! It’s natural for people to appreciate God’s creation more as they grow older. Spending time walking trails, watching wildlife, visiting parks, and seeking scenery, including the ocean and mountains, is spiritual and therapeutic.
8. Staying Home
I swear, every time I leave the house, I spend $100! Life has gotten ridiculously expensive. Besides, as you get older, the idea of lounging in sweats at home overpowers the need to spend hours getting ready to be around people you begin to care less about being around.
9. Coffee Without Sugar
My husband and I got an espresso machine to eliminate our outside-the-home coffee expense, and it’s been a game-changer. First, it’s a massive money-saver.
However, we recently discussed how our taste in coffee has matured. We went to Starbucks while traveling, and neither of us could finish our sugar in a cup. Getting older means appreciating the actual taste of coffee.
10. Reading
I loved reading as a kid, but I know many people who have had the opposite experience. They weren’t huge fans as children, but they grew to appreciate reading a good book as they age. Reading grows into a desirable hobby, whether spiritual, self-help, crime, or fantasy fiction.
11. Privacy
I’m Gen X. So, I remember life before social media, and I’m grateful my childhood was spent outdoors and not online. I genuinely wonder what the younger generations will feel about having their entire lives online when they grow older. Will they value privacy?
We’ve relinquished so much already; will they even realize what they’ve lost? I’ve gone from frequent publishing to deactivating my accounts to going back online for work with a little lurking and minimal posting.
12. Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate, specifically Dove dark chocolate, has my heart, and I was a milk chocolate kid. That’s how it always goes. No one starts with the least sweet option as a kid, right? I’ll never forget sneaking into the pantry and biting into Baker’s chocolate. Huge mistake.
Nonetheless, as I’ve grown older, I value dark over milk chocolate and have friends who confirm I’m not alone. Dark chocolate is something you begin to like when you get older.
Elizabeth Ervin is the owner of Sober Healing. She is a freelance writer passionate about opioid recovery and has celebrated breaking free since 09-27-2013. She advocates for mental health awareness and encourages others to embrace healing, recovery, and Jesus.