FIRST GLIMPSE

Stranger in the Bathroom

I surprised a stranger in my bathroom mirror the other morning.

I glimpsed him from the corner of my eyes as I bent to put away a stack of clean towels. With a start, I turned for a closer look. His beard was mottled gray, sunburned face weathered, and laugh wrinkles tugged the corners of his eyes. And what a nose! He looked remarkably similar to the ragged black and white photo of my great-uncle Erickson.

I guess I should have seen it coming. The clues all pointed to this stranger in the mirror. My favorite toddler became a teen in April; my wife and I recently began to contemplate how to celebrate our 20th anniversary; and a high school buddy just shared pictures of his first grandchild. Not to mention that I no longer bounce back after a hard day, and people often confuse my wife with my daughter.

Still, it was hard to come to grips with the face in the mirror. I bent closer. The effects of sun and gravity were evident, and 20 years of constant deadlines had taken their toll. “When did that happen?” I muttered to myself before turning back to the towels. It should have been no surprise. After all, we—that is, the rest of my family—celebrated my 40th birthday in September. No doubt about it—I’m slowly becoming a high-mileage vehicle!

In the days that followed, my mind wandered often to the stranger in the mirror. At first, his presence bothered me. How could he arrive at my house so soon…and so unexpectedly? I wasn’t ready to face him yet.

But as I thought more about his surprise visit, I came to several conclusions.

• Change is inevitable. You can’t stop time or sneak past the effects of the curse in the Garden of Eden. So, it only makes sense to make the most of the time we have, “redeeming the time,” as the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians.
  

• Change is not always bad. While I can no longer grab the rim of a basketball goal or sprint the last mile of my daily run, neither do I face the obvious challenges of youth. I have experience, confidence, and a different perspective on the obstacles I encounter. Why then do I resist change so strongly, when it could improve my life?
  

• Embrace the change. I recently told my wife I wouldn’t go back in time, even if I could. I’m too excited about the adventures ahead—even the difficult ones. Why spend time worrying about things that are past? Instead, I’m going to make a friend out of the middle-aged stranger in the mirror. I have a feeling he is going to be hanging out at my house for a while.

Eric K. Thomsen is managing editor of ONE Magazine. Contact him at editor@nafwb.org.