Thoughts on aging . . .

 

 "Old age is the time for happiness"

~George Santayana 

These days I think a lot about aging and getting older. I suppose that is quite normal for someone when they are 65 and suddenly see that they have far more years stretching out behind them than they have stretching out in front of them. We think about it, we might even fret a little bit about it, but its not often we actually celebrate it. Perhaps we really should.

I was just saying to my sister the other day about how every day over a certain age, lets say 60, is a blessing. If you look back at all the people you went to school with that are no longer here with us the meaning of the blessing becomes very clear, as does the wisdom of George Santayana's statement I have shared above. 

Aging brings with it an abundance of little surprises.  Elizabeth Berg calls them the "paper cuts of aging." Minor, but annoying, and they hurt worse than one might suppose. 

Things like not being able to squeeze your feet into pretty shoes any longer. Bunions. Neck wrinkles. Grey hairs. Chin hairs! Thickening nails. Foods that never upset your tummy before which all of a sudden do. Not being able to read the small print on anything.  Jar lids that have somehow mysteriously gotten harder to remove. Ear lobes which are lengthening.  Joints that crack and pop.  Spider veins . . . I could go on and on, but I am sure you get the picture. 

These minor annoyances are abundant and there is not really that much we can do about them, but to learn to live with them.  

  

 

Yes age does bring with it many things which are hard to deal with, but I am happy to say it also brings with it a great many more things that are great blessings to have. 

Things like wisdom.  I like to think I am a whole lot smarter now about things than what I used to be. Not all things mind, but enough to make a difference. Knowledge gleaned from life's abundant experiences.  Things learned that could only ever have been learned by going through them. 

Your appreciation of time increases. When I was a child a day seemed to last forever.  Long enough to get bored. Now I am older each day flashes by at the speed of light. Once you realise this, the small things become ever so much more important and you take time to appreciate them. 

 

Things like the way the sunlight falls on the dining room table on a particularly sunny day, or the beauty in the intricacies of dandelion fluff. The feeling of the warmth of the sun on your skin and the way it turns evrything to gold behind closed eyelids.

 

You have learned, finally, 

how to be and live in the moment,

and how to savor small pleasures.  

 

 

Finally, you can set your ego aside, otherwise life would be pretty miserable. Lets face it you are not getting any younger. Things that once mattered no longer quit as important. You are free to just be and to just enjoy.  You realise the truth in it being more blessed to give than to receive, and you are able to sense the real joy that comes from giving and passing on . . .  attention, time, love, things you no longer need or want. You discover compassion you never knew you had.  

 

  You realise that it has taken a lifetime to become who you are and you like who you are. You could never have become who you are were it not for the mistakes made and lessons learned. You become more compassionate towards others and their journies, recognising that we are all imperfect and we all make mistakes and that when we know better we do better. 

You can quite happily abandon some of your fantasies. Wealth. Fame. Endless youthful good looks. That perfect figure you always dreamed of having. You have come to understand that true beauty and value has nothing at all to do with  any of those things, but really does come from within. 

 

Your legacy becomes simple and clear.  I was here, I cared.  I showed it. 

Its as simple as that. 

Things I've been doing this week  . . . 

 

One afternoon I went with my sister to her friend Jane's for a painting afternoon. Not a lot of painting got done, but that's okay. It was just really nice to be out doing something with girls. Social distancing was practiced. Jane lives in a big old farmhouse, the kind of house I always dreamt of living in when I was younger but am more than practical enough now to know that dream has passed.  Too big. Too much house to clean, to heat, to care for. Nice to visit however.  She had a lovely wood stove in the kitchen. That smell   . . .  how I have missed that smell. I got my sweetpeas started anyways . . . and I had a jolly good time. 

 

 

The branch here in Greenwood made me a gift of a new book of scriptures to replace the ones I had to leave behind.  It was so very kind of them.  I have spent some time this week marking out my favourite ones and the Scripture Mastery ones.  Hoping they will soon become as marked, worn and beloved as my old ones were. I gave those to Tina because I knew she would love them as much as I had. 

 

 

Working on my new blanket.  Its a rectangular one this time instead of square and I have picked beautifully bright colours to symbolise the beautiful bright future which lays ahead of me. 

 

 

Still embroidering. I shall surround myself with things of beauty. That please me and that bring me joy. And why not. Its only me now. 

 

 

 

More dish cloths.  And why not. 

Oh, this is funny.  I decided to change my bed last night.  I had meant to do it earlier in the day but we ended up going to Walmart, so I thought I would do it today (Saturday).  But then I decided to do it last night.  I was moving back and forth from one side to the other tucking things in here and there and I knocked myself over.  Haha.  I landed on a box of Special K that is now Special Crumbs.  With red berries no less!! Thankfully nothing but the cereal got hurt.

And I am enjoying a slice of toasted marbled rye bread with butter and strawberry jam for breakfast. Life gets very good when you allow it to. 

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •
•。★★ 。* 。
° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚
˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛
˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★
 *.˛.° ˛°. . We cannot become what we want

by remaining what we are.

~Max Depree•。★★ 。* 。•。★★ 。* 。

 

In The English Kitchen today, English Melting Moments. Scrummilicious!!  Crispy and buttery.

Have a wonderful Saturday.  Its quite overcast here and kind of snowy.  Wintery.  Be healthy and be safe.  Don't forget!

═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════ ⊰✿░G░O░D⊰✿⊰L░O░V░E░S⊰✿⊰░Y░O░U░⊰✿
═══════════ ღೋƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒღೋ ═══════════


And I do too!!