I’LL STILL BE LOVING YOU
When your hair has turned to winter
and your teeth are in a plate,
when your getter up and go
has gone to stop and wait—
I’ll still be loving you.
When your attributes have shifted
beyond the bounds of grace,
I’ll count your many blessings,
not the wrinkles in your face—
I’ll still be loving you.
When the crackle in your voice
matches that within your knee
and the times are getting frequent
that you don’t remember me—
I’ll still be loving you.
Growing old is not a sin,
it’s something we all do.
I hope you’ll always understand—I’ll still be loving you.
Artist: Bettina Baldassari
In C. David Hay’s poem, the symbols of aging become tender reminders of love’s power to embrace and uplift, even as time reshapes us. The "winter" in the hair, with its quiet shift to gray, represents the beautiful inevitability of growing older together—a symbol of wisdom earned and stories shared. The “plate” of teeth, with its gentle humor, captures the humbling reality of aging, yet the speaker sees past this and pledges, “I’ll still be loving you.” This promise carries a profound, almost sacred devotion, where love does not simply endure the ravages of time but grows stronger and more compassionate through them.
When the speaker chooses to “count blessings, not the wrinkles in your face,” the symbolism transforms aging into a celebration of everything they have built together, from memories to hard-won understanding. The crackling knee, the fading voice, even the moments of forgetfulness evoke the fragility of life and the loyalty that stands firm against it, promising love that remains even when memory itself cannot. These lines pulse with the promise that true love sees beauty in all its forms, from the sprightliness of youth to the delicate, softened beauty of age. Each verse is a vow that love will outlast all limitations, symbolizing a bond that cherishes the whole journey—the growth, the laughter, the loss—as love that will “always understand” and always, deeply, remain.
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