Thursday, May 05, 2011

Just one wild and precious life

In my favorite movie and play, Steel Magnolias, Truvy says, "Honey, time marches on, and eventually you realize it's marchin' across your face."

Today a friend sent me the Baby Boomers Battle Hymn. "Holy crap, we're getting older!"

As my grandmother would have said, "'T'aint funny, McGee."

It's already May 5 and it's flying by. We'll be in 100-degree temperatures all too soon. And then it will be Christmas again.

It is, I suppose, the nature of youth to behave as though there is infinite time spreading before them and that they are, despite evidence to the contrary, pretty much invincible and indestructible. I sure acted that way, perhaps not exactly 'pissing my youth away,' as the You Tube version goes, but without any real acknowledgement that our time here is finite and precious.

It's only when there are more days behind us than in front that we begin to realize how quickly this life slips by. I'm so there.

That's why I'm striving these days to take care of myself, to tell those who I hold dear how I feel about them, to let go of things that drag me down, and to make some inroads on the things I want to do. I hope I have many more years, good years, ahead of me. But I don't want to face the end of this life wondering what I might have accomplished had I paid better attention to what was going on around me, to my health both physical and mental, and to those I have loved most and best.

So I resolve to do the following:

Relish something each day, be it a good book, a loving relationship, a beautiful flower, a devoted pet, a piece of really good chocolate. And be aware that it is good. Say prayers for those who are hurting and for myself. Be kind. Do at least one thing 'for the good of the order' -- I don't have to do it all in one day, but one task every day will get the job done. Tell my friends and family that I appreciate them and love them. And love who I am becoming, wrinkles, gray hair, stiff joints and all. God is not finished with me yet, and I may have discoveries and contributions to make that I haven't even dreamed of. And give thanks, every day, for this one wild and precious life.

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