"As we grow older…the beauty steals inward." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
This week I have a birthday. I enter the last year of my 40's - the age that in my youth I considered old.
The fresh unlined face that once stared back from the mirror is replaced by the wrinkles and effects of gravity that time bestows on all that travel through this life. The naive enthusiasm of youth now replaced with a quiet knowing, a comfortable acceptance of who I am and what is important to me. Age has come bearing its gifts.I have come into alignment with myself, walking in
time to my own rhythm, trusting my own beat.
Scattered pieces now magnetized by my core, return
and slot in to places I didn't even know were empty.
A jigsaw coming together, edges done long ago, the
final bits are slipping easily into the missing spaces.
Fragments I suspected long gone, were not lost, just hidden.
The final piece will reveal the whole picture,
I pick it up and gently put it into place.
As we travel this journey of life we need to keep letting go, evolving, adapting to the moment. We need to be sure that we don't have our hands so full of the past that we can't accept the gifts of the future.time to my own rhythm, trusting my own beat.
Scattered pieces now magnetized by my core, return
and slot in to places I didn't even know were empty.
A jigsaw coming together, edges done long ago, the
final bits are slipping easily into the missing spaces.
Fragments I suspected long gone, were not lost, just hidden.
The final piece will reveal the whole picture,
I pick it up and gently put it into place.
How do you feel about getting older? Do you recognise the gifts?
"Coming into alignment" - taken from Out of My Ocean
8 comments:
Happy birthday, and many happy returns! I'm a new reader and already feeling compelled to comment.
I too am winding up my forties, and feel blessed with each new year. With each year I like myself better, and feel stronger about my place within this world. Each year there are continued adventures to be found around every corner.
I have a lifelong friend who, every time I speak with her these days, seems as if she's already got one foot in the grave, and talks about being "old" and "in decline." I won't have it. For me, each year gets better because the universe grants me more wisdom and understanding.
I choose happiness. And I don't expect I will every call myself "old." Doing that tends to cloud the view.
Hello Jen - thanks very much for the birthday wishes :-)
I love the fact that you say you 'choose' happiness, so many people don't realise they have a choice.
Aging has so much to do with our state of mind, our focus and our choices. We owe it to ourselves to have positive life affirming beliefs and to look out for them to be confirmed in our day to day lives.
Thank you very much for your inspirational comment and for sharing your view on aging - it is wonderful to meet you . :-)
Happy Birthday, Susannah! For all the aches, pains, and wearing of parts, I wouldn't trade the cool saging years for anything. My spirit is ageless and vibrant. I'm more confident to be The Real Me. The rest must simply be borne with good humor as the Chironic wounds of time. (He does orbit between Saturn/Father Time and Uranus!)Again, we are on each other's beam, as I am about to post on Hot Flashbacks, Cool Insights tomorrow a piece that addresses one aspect of this question!
Happy birthday!
I'm a 27-year old guy interested in the movies, and I'm a new reader here. Some good stuff here so far. Keep it up!
Wishing you better opportunities this year.
Hiya Susannah and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU (in your mind you are to imagine me singing that bit :)).
I loved your post about ageing. Late forties is really (to me anyway) the time when you are conscious of the passing years and their effect on your visage!
But as my other half says "age is really only a state of mind" and he is right!
The most inspirational person I ever worked with was a wonderful man who was 80. He was full of ideas, creativity and enthusiasm. He wore his age lightly and was the kind of person who energised you when you spent time with him!
I also love the old pagan/celtic three ages of woman as defined by the Maiden/Mother/Crone trinity. EAch age has its own gifts to bestow.
As usual thank you so much for the inspirational and uplifting words.
B
x
Joyce, you are so obviously enjoying 'the cool saging years' (as you call them) and are inspirational in your enthusiasm for life.
How were your late 40's and 50's for you?
Did any of your milestone birthdays (50 or 60) make a difference or has it been a pretty stable ride?
Thanks for dropping by and for your comment, it is always good to see you. :-)
Hello lightning catcher and thanks very much for the birthday wishes.
Nice to meet you. :-)
Hi Barbara, I can hear you singing Happy Birthday! thank you so much!. . . . now could you come back on Thursday and sing it again for me (you have such a lovely voice);-)
I love the fact that you mentioned the old pagan/celtic three ages of woman as defined by the Maiden / Mother / Crone trinity. As you say "each age has its own gifts to bestow."
I think how we handle aging is like everything else - mostly state of mind, and being aware of the transitions and honouring them as part of the process opf life.
Thanks for coming by and commenting (and singing) it is very much appreciated, as are you ;-) x
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