I like new adventures. I’d rather go someplace new than somewhere I’ve been before. I’d rather start a new project that bring one to a conclusion. I prefer sunrises to sunsets, and recently I’ve been wishing it were possible to grow mentally and emotionally without suffering the insults that growing older bestows on the body.
Our grandson Cooper will be heading off to college later this week. I can’t help but feel a little envious of his youth and all of the experiences he has ahead of him. At breakfast Alex and I discussed the advantages of youth versus the advantages of being an older person. We concluded that we know who we are. We have acknowledged our talents and our shortcomings. We have accepted that we will never be perfect. We know who and what matters to us – what things we will fight for and which causes will motivate us to open our wallets.
There’s a sense of peace that comes along with acceptance. I do love not having to struggle every day to figure out my purpose and place in the world. There are challenges with this stage, to be sure. But just as I feel a little sad sometimes as the day is drawing to a close, I’ve come to see that the colors at sunset are deeper, richer, and more vibrant than at the beginning or in the middle of the day. Perhaps being aware that it won’t last forever can help increase our appreciation of the beauty and significance of this particular moment in time.
