I always get excited when I see cute and classy old people just living their life. A silent observer, I love to watch the way the passed generations live life. I love watching sharp-dressed old gents and the little woman on their arm smiling up at them as they read the paper or chat over coffee. I think, "Goodness, I want to be classy like that."
Class. It was something that most people used to strive for. Yet today it has fallen by the wayside to make room for who knows what. I want to be a person of class, of dignity and of sophistication. Perhaps this seems silly, or maybe even snobbish, but I beg of you, please hear me out. There once was a day when manners were expected. Women wore dresses and men did not leave the house without a collared shirt and tie. People treated one another as people, not as machines behind desks meant to met their every need. People spoke using lovely words, being wise and purposeful with every notion that made its way passed the gateway of their lips. There was a discreteness that was taught in the classroom, and before that, the home. People lived with a sense on intentionality. They thought about what they wore, what the spoke and how they lived. I suppose this is truly the heart of this post. What at first seemed to just be a discussion of my love of classy things, now takes a step in a new direction. It's the heart behind having a desire for class. Striving for class in and of itself seems petty. Yet living with intentionality? Now that is worth a discussion.
I have a challenge for you. Talk to an old person. Talk to someone who built a business they loved from the ground up. Talk to someone who has served God daily, strong and true. Talk to an old man who has loved his wife faithfully for 50 years. Talk to the woman who raised her children right. Ask them not just about what happened, but how it happened. Ask them how they thought and all that it took, day in and day out. Intentionality and hard work. After all, the "classy" life isn't easy. It takes more time to get ready in the morning, takes more sweat, more blood and tears. It takes commitment and devotion, passion and persistence. It takes true love and a fighting spirit. But what beauty there is in looking back over a life like that!
I want this kind of life, and it is my prayer that you do as well. A life devoted to God, built on faith, hard work and intentionality. A marriage that lasts upwards of 50 years. Children that serve God passionately and teach theirs to do the same. Friends that are loyal and dear. I want a life story that is worth telling at the end and every step through the journey.
And wearing dresses often doesn't hurt much either (:
