Now this is a question very close to my heart Rosie. I have watched some people become the most wonderful, gracious, charming and kind individuals as they get older and others who become the most bitter, depraved souls that one could ever imagine. I pray, for my children's sake, that I am the former and Heaven forbid that I would ever become the latter which is nothing short of heartbreaking for those who have to witness it and deal with it. I think that being gracious always is the most wonderful gift. Unfortunately, in today's world it is rarely appreciated by all until they have something to jolt them into understanding what life is all about.

you make a good point rosie,but personally i plan to grow old disgracefully lol.

I have my personal understanding on being gracious which in my opinion is nonexclusive to aging gracefully. The word “gracieus” is a French one which means: Gracious - kind and warmly courteous; tactful; compassionate; indulgent; charming and graceful; elegant and with good taste. As you may have noticed after the fifth definition it says “graceful”, I have looked this up in my French dictionary and my English Webster Dictionary and both words mean exactly the same and applied in the same sense. . Young people have certain liberties like dying their hair in bright colors or in two different colors, using heavy or strong makeup colors or Gothic style, using very tight and short clothes and having more of a free attitude. . When “aging gracefully” became of common use, it was reintroduced to explain how we should begin to gradually change our ways as we age, a process we engage upon birth. Let’s suppose we are one of the above mentioned young girls, we marry and must therefore become a graceful married woman and drop the liberties of our youth. As the years go by and we continue our aging process the older we become the least of the mentioned liberties we have. . Having said this I must add that I firmly believe we may and should live with grace which will in time turn us into gracious ladies weather we comb brown, blond or silver hair but always aging gracefully. . I may not have understood your question and thus given you the wrong answer, if so please let me know.