Monday, September 21, 2009

A single step ...

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...and I've been walking quite a while now, fast approaching the age of 59, I am on the horizon of 60. They call this the new 40 ... life now begins at 60! I met a woman last night who turned 60 this past spring and said that it hadn't phased her one bit. (Yay!) Others have found this new 60 troubling. I find the growing older to be something more then ok!

I've lived spring, summer, fall and winter and only by living are the lessons learned. There has been wonderment, happiness, silliness, sadness, lonely, sorrow, inspiration, success ... I could go on and on with adjectives, but I think you get the picture. I see 60 and getting older as a whole new season ... I call it The Fifth Season. We've done the 4 seasons ... we begin in spring - a new life; blossoming throughout summer; gloriously splendid in fall and arrive at winter void of blooms and color. However, winter holds a charm all its own. Beyond winter we find a clean palet so that we can pick and choose from which we have sampled and tasted during our walk.

I do have to say though, that the body does not cooperate as well any more with the mind which shouts with glorious invigoration that I'm still 18, (and somedays maybe 16!) but the aches, pain and, at times, limited abilities, speak a different truth. But I'm seeing things I've never seen before, oh, I'm in the same place, but a different mindset. There just aren't bad hair days anymore.

And so it is, the four seasons - we begin in the spring of new life, blossom and bloom throughout summer, gloriously splendid and seasoned come fall and arrive at winter's stillness to take it all in. Putting it all together .... the best is yet to come, The Fifth Season!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzuChinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC