One of the great, unadvertised trials of getting older is the peculiar way it softens us. As the calendar pages turn, so does our emotional climate, becoming more susceptible to the gentle rains of sentimentality. A simple song, a line in a book, or the sight of children chasing down an ice cream truck can unleash a flood of feelings that we might have shrugged off in our sterner, cooler, younger years.
With age, the edges of the heart become frayed and more exposed, and the heart, in turn, seems determined to make its presence felt, throbbing for both joys and sorrows. The sentimentality that sneaks up with age is a double-edged sword—it renders us tender but also painfully aware of the finite nature of our connections and experiences.
As these connections stretch over years, the inevitable begins to crowd the periphery of our lives: we start to lose people. Friends, family, mentors, and peers begin to depart, each loss a subtraction from the sum total of our shared human experience. These are not just names disappearing from a contact list but whole chapters of our lives, complete with laughter, shared secrets, and mutual growth, closing gently and irrevocably.
The real kick, the part that really jolts you, is this: with age comes the realisation that there’s no merit in silence when it comes to the heart’s affairs. If you care about someone, you should tell them. Why? Because the unforgiving nature of time teaches us that the right moment is perilously fleeting, and regrets are the most stubborn of guests.
Consider this: the world moves swiftly, and in our digital age, it seems to spin even faster. Words of affection or gratitude are often postponed for a “better time,” which, as fate and busy calendars would have it, may arrive just a tad too late. So, telling someone that they matter, that they have imprinted on your life in a meaningful way, is not just a kindness but a necessity.
Imagine the transformative power of expressing genuine appreciation or affection openly. Such acts enrich not only the receiver but also the giver. They confirm our humanity in a world increasingly mediated by screens and superficial interactions. What’s more, these moments of heartfelt disclosure guard against the regret that may come from words unsaid and feelings unshared.
So, even if you’re not marking more time on the existential clock, let’s not be miserly with our emotional currency. Let’s invest in open declarations of affection and appreciation. Let’s tell our friends and loved ones what they mean to us while they are here to hear it, to smile about it, and perhaps, to return the sentiment. In the end, ageing teaches us that while our days are indeed numbered, our capacity for love and expression is not. It’s never too late to start speaking from the heart, but it’s always too soon to stop.