Pearls of Wisdom....on Sixty
Wheels of Life
I thought that turning sixty would be big deal but maybe not as big a deal as turning forty. For three years prior to my big 4-0...I told anyone I could...that I would be turning FORTY soon. It usually started with I WILL BE 40 IN THREE YEARS!...and so on and so on until it actually happened and then there was peace. I had ten years until I hit FIFTY...and then at 42 I had a baby and I had something new to fret over...being an 'older mom'...and turning 50 in eight years. There was no end to it.
When I turned 50 I was feeling pretty good and to be honest, with a house full of teenagers I did not have much time to think about myself. Whoever said it would so much easier when toddlers grow up was WRONG. Teenagers are much more work! But then, they grow out of that surly, 'know it all' stage and you have peace again.
Onto SIXTY.
I do not know how I feel about turning 60... which is why I am writing about it. I really haven't given it much thought these past years, extraordinary for me, but true. I do not feel anxious, I do not feel sad, I do not lament the physical curvaceous changes that are occurring, I do not feel a desperate need to turn back the clock although there are times I would like to give my teenage self a swift kick in the butt for spending countless hours under the sun without sunscreen. That little fact is catching up with me and fortunately I am onto it.
Curvaceous 'Sixty' Succulents
Lately, I notice I take more interest in what 'wiser' women and men have to say about life, how they live it and the pearls of wisdom they pass on. I want to tap into my "inner wisdom". Sometimes we can get so caught up in the 'now' with family and friends of our own age that we do not pause to think of the 'later'. Our wiser friends can guide us into the future.
Life..it's in the detail
At nearly sixty (four days shy of it)...I am a little more philosophical about life.
I like to think I have become more resilient with the passing years. Hysteria and the tendency to over think situations will always be in my DNA but coping and bouncing back is a bit easier.
I think about retirement and then I don't. I have been officially 'retired' for a while but Mr. H is still rolling along. We do not have a set date, but we have planned for it. When it happens it happens and another adventure will begin..because with Mr. H there is always another adventure.
I think about all the skills I would still love to learn and find myself coming up with fewer excuses to not do them. It is time to just get on with it.
Procrastination feel dull...and I am a good procrastinator, the act of 'doing' feels so much better.
I enjoy surrounding myself with friends of all ages and have moved on from the 'age thing'. When you find people with like minds who share the same interests and joys of life, it's golden.
I no longer take my health for granted, I do not think any of us can afford to. It is at the top of the 'pearls of widom' list that wiser friends pass on to me.
I listen less to the critical 'me' who tells me all the things I should be doing and doing better. There is a stronger 'me' that tells the critical side to "shut up". Feels good when that happens. ;)
I have more appreciation for the little things in life than I once did and I imagine it will intensify with passing years.
I think about life and finding meaning and purpose every day.
I think about our tumbleweed expat life and all the people and places we have embraced these past years and still excited for what it yet to be.
I think about my family and how much I love them, they are the spirit that drives me.
I have lost track of whether sixty is the new fifty or forty, all that matters is that turning sixty feels pretty fabulous to me. Miss Claire (below) tends to agree.
I feel a creative ‘project’ coming on in that look! ;)
In the words of Wendell Berry
"And the world cannot be discovered
by a journey of miles,
no matter how long,
but only by a spiritual journey,
a journey of one inch,
very arduous and humbling and joyful,
by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet,
and learn to be at home."
So...
I am guessing that some of you may have thoughts on these years of your life.
Where are you in the scheme of things?
Wiser? Searching for wisdom?
Can we help?
Would love to know!
You can leave a comment or write to me
jeannecollageoflife@gmail.com
If you would like me to share your comment,
just let me know.
I look forward to hearing from you!
One last thing...
If you have 3:47 minutes,
check out Emily Patrick :: On Painting
It's lovely...
Images: Jeanne and Claire exploring Latitude 15
Lusaka, Zambia
