My daughter recently asked, “What does ‘aging gracefully’ mean to you?” I thought of a friend who lives with chronic pain. She is a “people person” who, despite limited mobility, just keeps giving to others. Her husband does, too, as he also cares for her. Other friends — a husband with multiple health issues, including cancer, and a wife who cares for him 24/7 — are boundless in their interest and care for others.

In the Old Testament, Nehemiah and the priest Ezra imparted to God’s people the good news of God’s forgiveness and compassion and told them their strength comes from joy in the Lord. My friends know that their circumstances don’t define them. They age with grace because their strength comes from their heavenly Father, who gives them salvation through His Son Jesus. And another thing they have in common? They all laugh. A lot.