Just the other day, I came computer screen to face to the realization I’m getting old.

And while some may read those words and chuckle, I bet that each and every one of you can remember the point when you realized, “I’m not as young as I used to be.” It may be that your knees creak in the mornings or that those jeans don’t fit like they used to, or like in my case, I saw pictures posted on Facebook that reminded you just how long ago high school was.

And I’ll confess – it was 15 years ago.

There were cheerleading photos that showed off what great legs I used to have and candid shots that showed how carefree high school life was.

The two bright spot were the prom pictures that proved God finally graced me at least some fashion sense over the years, and the ones that reminded how great life is without braces.

I expect that most people feel the same way when looking back.

For me, I’m now starting to worry about things like retirement, college funds and cancer.

When I was growing up, no one ever mentioned the word “retirement” to me and most definitely in a context that directly applied to my life.

I knew that people retired after working, but no one ever explained that one needed to save money to do it. I’m pretty smart, but the concept never crossed my mind. Now I worry about how my 401K will result in $401K for me, and what if it doesn’t?

As for college funds, I decided I paid for my own and it didn’t kill me, so the same concept will work for my girls.

But, perhaps the biggest and scariest thing is the chance that I won’t be here in the long run to even concern myself with worrying about retirement or college funds. Everyday we hear news of neighbors down the road or loved ones being diagnosed with various things – some life threatening, some not. Either way, it makes one take stock in our mortality.

I like to watch people when I’m out and about – the way they move, the way the talk, the way they carry themselves and interact with those around them. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they take pride in their appearance, and I don’t mean those who take it to the point of extreme vanity.

I can imagine that most have the same cares and concern that I do – maybe even more. Sometimes I watch I wonder just what those people are dealing with today.

I know I am lucky. My children are healthy. There’s no danger of me losing my car or my home unless by some act of God, which is entirely possible. I have clothes on my back, and food in my cabinets.

There’s a lot who can’t say that, and I know I shouldn’t complain about a few gray hairs and a few extra pounds….but gosh, what great legs I used to have.