It occurs to every one of us, I’m guessing, that we all have that unique moment of the realization of age. Oh sure, it visits us briefly at each birthday. We are aware of the years advancing by. However, I believe at some point we become profoundly aware of the passing of time. In particular I believe we think more about our advanced years at some point. I know, for one, I pay attention to the number of my years on this planet and the fact they are further behind than in front of me. I have more concern for the reasonableness of time when expecting to complete something new. Many ideas are now prefaced with ‘will I still be up for that’ in 5 years or when I’m (insert age here)?
I am pretty sure that for me my ‘aha moment’ was realized in the year following my Mom’s death. It includes the timing of my Father’s 90 birthday this year. It inhabits year two of retirement and the new approach to income, health and exercise as a result.
How do we keep things fresh after years of living? How do we embrace changes that are often not our choice and are even unwelcome in some cases? How do we welcome the tired at the end of a day well spent and resist the armchair of comfort we might allow to embrace us for a moment, or a day, or a week, or more? That place where tired is in reality boredom and dissatisfaction.
I believe it is easy really. You look within and sense the correct answer. It really is the life in each of our breaths rather than the breaths left in each of our lives. It is how we honor not only ourselves and our own accomplishments but the lives and accomplishments of those who have preceeded us in our journeys to the unseen side.
It is a joy to celebrate the human expression. To marvel at our individual accomplishments is a privilege we can share with one another. Relaxing into the appreciation of a lifetime of accomplishments is a blessing. Shelving a lifetime of accomplishments from the light of gratitude is nonetheless tragic. It is that dance of life that accompanies the magical music of our historical stories that lingers. Well spent then is the time of the doer, the story teller, the philosopher that insures a first class journey. A time for show and tell if you will.
Put down the camera, turn off the TV. Live. Enjoy. Be the proud pervasive Captain of your own ship and it’s journey until the very moment your sail’s sight leaves this shore bound for another. Proudly we celebrate you old man and old woman. Cheers to a remarkable journey, a journey we are all so very proud of!
Love,
Decidedly Debra
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