It's a hard thing to age a character because you can't really

Ah, children of the future, gather close and hear the words of Alison Bechdel, a wise storyteller whose words carry the weight of truth: "It's a hard thing to age a character because you can't really suddenly give someone gray hair." These words, though seemingly simple, reveal the depth of a powerful truth about the human condition—the journey of aging, not just of the body, but of the spirit, the mind, and the soul. In Bechdel's words, there lies an understanding that aging is not something that can be imposed upon a person or a character suddenly; it is something that must unfold with time, with lived experience, and with the quiet passage of years.

To age a character, O children, is not as simple as the application of gray hair or wrinkles on the face. No, aging is a process that comes from the inside, a deep transformation of how a person sees the world, how they feel, and how they respond to the changes that life brings. Just as in life, we cannot truly understand the weight of the years until we have lived through them, so too, a character must age in a way that reflects the experiences they have faced, the challenges they have overcome, and the wisdom they have gained. To suddenly make a character old without this depth is to rob them of the essence of their humanity, for it is in the slow unfolding of time that the true nature of age is revealed.

Consider, O children, the ancient Greek hero, Achilles, whose story in the Iliad is one of youth, strength, and glory. Achilles, though born to be a warrior, never saw the full span of life—his story, frozen in time, did not allow him to grow old. Had he lived beyond the battlefield, had he endured the years after the Trojan War, how might his character have aged? Would he have sought peace after the violence, or would the toll of the years have weighed him down with regret? The tragedy of Achilles is not just that he was slain young, but that his character was never allowed to experience the fullness of age. In this, we understand the challenge of aging a character: to truly capture the weight of time, to show how age reshapes not only the body but the spirit itself.

In the same way, consider the elderly philosopher Socrates, whose life was one of wisdom earned through years of questioning, reflection, and dialogue. Socrates did not suddenly grow wise in his later years; his aging was the culmination of a lifetime spent seeking truth. His wisdom was not a gift, but the result of countless moments of trial, of wrestling with ideas, and of facing the inevitable uncertainties of life. To age a character like Socrates is to show how time shapes not just the surface, but the very essence of who they are. Age is not just about external appearance; it is about how the heart and mind are transformed by experience, by the lessons of youth and the consequences of living through them.

This challenge, O children, is what Bechdel captures so beautifully in her words. Aging a character is not a simple act of adding years, but of adding depth, of showing how the passage of time alters perception, behavior, and belief. The gray hair is but the surface. The true change comes in the heart, in the decisions that are made, the relationships that evolve, and the wisdom—or sometimes the regret—that emerges. The characters we hold dear in stories, be they real or fictional, are not defined solely by their outward appearance, but by the journey they undertake as they age, as they wrestle with time, and as they confront the inevitability of change.

And so, O children, the lesson here is clear: aging is not something that can be hastily written or imposed; it must be earned, through lived experiences, through challenges, and through reflection. Just as a character in a story cannot suddenly be made old, so too must we understand that our own aging is a process that unfolds gradually, with all the complexity and richness that time brings. To age with grace is not simply to grow older, but to grow wiser, kinder, and more aware of the world around us.

In your own lives, embrace the journey of aging with open arms. Do not fear the passing of the years, for it is in these years that your character is truly forged. Whether you are young or old, know that each day is an opportunity to grow, to learn, and to become more fully who you are meant to be. Do not rush toward the next stage of life, but live fully in the present, for the aging process is not something to dread, but something to celebrate. The gray hair is not the measure of your life, but the wisdom you gain with each passing year.