I agree wholeheartedly with your mother's outlook, Leeneia. My lively, joyful grandmother, who lived well into her eighties, always spoke of herself as "a girl". I do the same. The "real" me is 17, and has been since 1970.

I think being around young (and I mean VERY young) people regularly, and having licence to lark about and be a bit silly every day makes a big difference. I teach drama and languages to under 11 year olds, so I am even paid to do this ! There's a programme on UK TV at the moment called "Making Slough Happy", about the "science of happiness", and one of the things they have been stressing is the importance of allowing yourself to *play* on a regular basis. You can't beat a bit of larking about, acting the goat or whatever you want to call it.

I believe that if you have a positive approach to life, you will be drawn to positive people, and they will be drawn to you. The negative grouches (of whatever chronological age) can't stand it, and move away to find their own. Or so I've found, anyway.

- jeanie