I found this painting in an antique shop and stood looking at it for quite a while.
An older woman sits beside the water, surrounded by ancient, wise mountains.
Yet reflected back at her is her younger self.
It made me wonder…
What if we spend so much time trying to preserve the outside of youth that we forget about everything youthful that can remain alive within us?
Curiosity.
Wonder.
Playfulness.
Creativity.
Trying something for the first time.
Exploring somewhere we’ve never been.
Laughing until our stomach hurts.
Dancing because we love the song.
Dreaming before deciding whether the dream is practical.
Maybe we don’t need to become the person in our younger reflection again.
We get to carry her forward.
Every year gives us something our younger selves didn’t have yet—experience, perspective, resilience, memories and wisdom.
And perhaps they gave us something worth protecting, too.
Their wonder.
Maybe our own Fountain of Youth is found where those two parts of ourselves meet:
The wisdom of who we have become and the wonder of who we have always been.
Growing older is a privilege.
And growing older doesn’t mean we have to grow old inside.
Keep learning.
Keep exploring.
Keep creating.
Keep laughing.
Keep doing things for the first time.
Keep finding reasons to be amazed by this life.
All the versions of you who brought you here are still part of you.
You don’t have to go backward to find them. 🤍
🤍 This week…
Do one thing that awakens the wonder in you. Follow your curiosity, try something new, dance to the song, explore somewhere you’ve never been—or simply allow yourself to be delighted by something small.
Maybe the Fountain of Youth was never a place we were meant to find.
Maybe it has always been a way we choose to live.
With love,
Clarissa 🤍
