Gettin' Up There

The following are just some reflections that someone sent me. They discovered this, apparently written by an anonymous author, and thought it was worthy of passing on. I also upon reading it thought the thoughts expressed by the writer say a lot of the things that come to mind when a person reaches the age I am now. I won't tell you what it is but I must say that in the last year or so some of the same sentiments have run through my mind.



You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing of years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on a new way of life with my mate.... And yet, in a way it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years have gone. I know that I lived them all.



I have glimpses of how it was back then, and all of my hopes and dreams. But here it is, the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise in some ways.



How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? The "babies" are now grown and have their own families. And where did my youth go?



I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.



But here it is. My wife and I are both retired and we are both getting gray, we both move slower now and when we look in the mirror we both look older now. My wife is in better shape than I am but I do see a change. She is not the young, vibrant woman I married, but like me, her age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we would be.



Each day I find that just taking a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat any more, it is mandatory! Because if I don't on purpose, I just fall asleep where I sit!



And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things and I know that the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last, and when it's over, it's over.



Yes, I have regrets.

There are things I wish I hadn't done and things I should have done. But there are things I'm very glad to have done. It's all in a lifetime. So, if you're not in your winter yet, let me tell you it will be here faster than you think. So whatever you would like to do in your life, do it quickly. Life goes by quickly.



So do what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not and you have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life. So live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember.



Life is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a great one!



It's also odd that as I get older, its not so much that you miss your children but almost as if you need the companionship of your own siblings, those of your own generation, not that you don't love your own children but as if the older ones are the ones that have most in comemon with you. Could it be because they also realize they have reached the winter of their lives and the other seasons have passed?



Live Well!