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I guess the reality is that there is no getting around getting old. Yes, I said "old." I don't care how many so-called "age defying" cosmetics Walgreen's sells, or how many times somebody says "50 is the new 40," I know what old is. I've got creaky knees, gray hair and can no longer read small print without a pair of cheaters that are recycled Coke bottle bottoms. In my book, that equals old.

And, to top it off, I now leak!

Back in the day when I would sneeze, someone would offer a polite "God bless you" and that would be the end of it. Now when I sneeze animals start to line up two-by-two. What commercials call as "light bladder control problem," I call a flood. Don't get me wrong, I'm not quite ready for Depends (knock wood); still, it's disconcerting to know that I may never be able to have unprotected belly laughs again. The good news is that the mystery of Mama's insistence on having plastic slipcovers has been solved at last.

But there are some undeniable benefits of growing older. For me, one in particular comes to mind. At nine months, my angel granddaughter Lillian Mae, a.k.a "Lily," and I have a lot in common. She leaks, too.

Before she was born, I proclaimed to any who would listen that I would never become one of those mushy-gushy grandmothers who can talk of nothing other than their precious progeny. Yeah well, so much for that idea. Can I help it if my Lily-Pop is the most beautiful and brilliant baby ever born? Never could I have imagined a love this divine. To say the least, she has certainly made this growing older business an easier pill to swallow.

Truth be told, however, I don't remember very much about caring for a baby, especially since my babies are now young adults. My first time up-to-bat at babysitting duty was a bit challenging. She was cranky and wouldn't sleep. I remembered that a warm bottle and a warm bath is like Kryptonite to babies. Trouble is with my bad knees I couldn't bend down to the tub. My double kitchen sink was too small, and she's not exactly ready for the shower. Then I got an idea - the Wok.

You remember the wok don't you? We all had them in the '80s. Well, I dug out the old wok, wiped the rust off it, filled it with warm water and voila! It was rounded on the bottom so I could give her a bath, warm the bottle and rock her to sleep at the same time. Work smarter, not harder, I always say.

Excuse me? You have a problem with me putting her in the wok? This is not your grandbaby! Everything was perfect except I had a little trouble explaining to her mother why she smelled like soy sauce.

I don't think I would have appreciated being a grandmother half as much had she been born while I was in my 40s-or God forbid my 30s. (Hey, it happens.) I was much too busy trying to get her father out of the house. But that's another story for another day. Like millions of grandparents past and present, my first-born grandchild is the joy of my heart and the grace of my years. In her young eyes I see hope for a tomorrow that very well may be a bit moist, but a whole lot brighter, and that does this old heart some good.

- T. Faye Griffin

T. Faye Griffin is an award-winning humorist who's put words into the mouths of Academy Award winners, comedians, politicians and everyday folk alike. From A&E to PBS, she has amassed an impressive list of writing credits that include the landmark comedy series "In Living Color" and The Los Angeles Times. A respected motivational and inspirational speaker, T. Faye has been a featured instructor at the prestigious Chautauqua Institution and the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center for Comedy. She is the author of the best-selling devotional, Morning Manna: Wisdom Served With Humor and Heart. The Los Angeles native has appeared on FOX, COZI-TV and BET.