Lessons

The plates are spinning again. It has occurred to me that Chuck and I have reached a point in our lives, when there will simply be more spinning, more wobbling and inevitably, unavoidably, occasional crashes. I think this is the reality of being lucky enough to have friends and loved ones who have reached the status of octogenarians and even nonagenarians! The health challenges, the actual falls, the sudden medical crises and the evolution of aches and pains of aging bodies into chronic conditions; these are all on the flip side of being blessed to be long lived.

I know there are lessons here. Some of them I am running from at absolute top speed! Some send shivers down my spine as I get frightening flashes from ghosts of our own future. Those ghosts have nothing on Dickens’ holiday spectres, especially this year as both Chuck and I approach milestone birthdays - he sixty-five, I fifty. But some of the lessons I am taking notes on and making crib sheets. One of those is the need to stay physically active and to continue to challenge ourselves physically. I’m sure that’s one of the reasons we have been strapping on our snowshoes every chance we get. It’s not just that the snow will not be here forever. It’s that right now we can. Right now we are healthy and strong and agile enough to go tromping and traipsing in the woods. Who cares if we come back winded and weary. We are also rosy cheeked, energized, triumphant and very much alive.

Lesson learned.

Bring on the next plate.