It's recorded in the scriptures and I paraphrase 'old men shall dream dreams and young men shall see visions'.

Well all I can say to that is Thank God for making me a woman. (And let me be clear, this is not a religious or biblical debate, but a stream of thought). For in all of my boldly beautiful and feminine self, I know this doesn't apply to me because while I dream in vivid themes and vibrant colors, I am also enlivened with visions which have shown and continually prepare me to be the starring feature cast in the life that is shaping and unfolding within and for me. My vision of this woman that is me is brilliant and passionate, with a surprise ending yet to be written. I am both a Dreamer and a Visionary.

Then comes to mind a motto and I quote, “Old men for counsel, young men for war”. And so once again I exclaim Thank God for making me a woman. For through wisdom I have learned how to fight, when to fight, what to fight for, what to fight against, when fighting is necessary and when peace is the most powerful weaponry in the fight. Because in this life, not fighting is not an option. There are times when I will be a combatant and times when I must be an opponent, but at all times I must know which and why that is my role. Through experience I have learned to not bring a knife to the gunfight, meaning; don’t show up empty handed, unprepared or ill-equipped. My woman, my me, hears and heeds my counsel regarding life’s inevitable battles and teaches me to recognize and utilize my resources accordingly and courageously. I am a Wisely Agile Warrior

And then I remember hearing of this prayer that was recited each morning by the Jewish males/men of the community which says, “Blessed are You Lord, our God Ruler of the universe who has not created me a woman”. Now I could take the time to rip this thing apart. But suffice to say, the prayer was composed by a man so I just have to shake my head and move on armed with the knowledge that “You can’t make a racehorse out of a jackass” and say with all confidence, Thank God for making me a woman. I am Fearfully and Wonderfully made, (Ps. 139:14).

But what really stirred me to arise to the challenge of these pronouncements are the notions of ageism and sexism. How limiting, how debilitating, how isolating and how separating this would be if I and we lived within the confines of this time and gender imposed concept. No one has the right to decide when my light will shine or how brightly it will burn or for how long. And more than that but coupled with those outside influences, I am speaking to the My-self that would relinquish authority and give credence to long held ideologies that don't fit into my reality. If I as a seasoned woman am restricted to dreams, then that means that I am no longer part of the action and activity that creates movements and builds monuments. Yes, I dream, but I dream ALIVE. And anything that would prohibit me from realizing and being fully who I was created to be is out of harmony with me and my truth. Do I sometimes get weary? Does my energy wane? Yes but through wisdom, I have learned when and how to manage my body, my mind and my spirit so that I am able to live wholly. I know when to go hard, go easy, challenge the boundaries, lay down, work it out or take a break. Additionally, if I subscribed to the idea that I am not even a part of the equation because of my gender, I would have banished my own self and committed a transgression against God’s creation by calling my presence a liar.

And then again as I continued to contemplate these declarations I thought that maybe this isn’t about ageism or sexism after all. Perhaps what this means is that when we refrain from growing and transforming and evolving and becoming, that we cease or stunt our ability to stir the regions of our hearts and brains that commands us to come forward, reproduce, and replenish. And we know that anything that is deprived of oxygen and activity is going to lose its' vitality becoming stale and stagnant. Eventually as the dream and dreamer loses its’ energy it suffocates and evaporates the vision. And “where there is no vision, the people perish”, (KJV – Proverbs 29:18). Poof! Gone! How sad and how unnecessary. Which simply means that when we don’t rendezvous with the wonders and divine callings of the universe, that is precisely when we begin the descent into becoming old and invisible and unavailable, and it has absolutely nothing to do with our years on this earth, the decline of our natural forces, and certainly not our gender.

A dear friend of mine Rabbi Curtis G Caldwell once said and it struck and has stuck with me, “Strain Your Potential Until It Cries For Mercy”. That’s about being a visionary, being courageous and being actively engaged in our personal development throughout the lifespan. It’s not time limited. It’s about getting the most and best out of who we are for as long as we are. And it requires muscle, sweat, heart, grit and grind. So whether we are young, mature, old, a tween, a teen, adult or however we decide to identify, though we all require rest, we don’t leave our life on the table. We don’t quit. We don’t give up. Our choices will be the difference between our being found as on-lookers in the image old men and women or those who are festively experiencing both the dreams and the visions of a well and fully-lived life with the vitality of wisdom pumping through and pressing us on.

Don’t’ fence me in because I am a woman.

Don’t count me out because I am mature.

Don’t Sleep On Me - period.