Patience
This morning a bouquet of flowers greeted me as I wandered around my garden to see what was new. I thought to myself, "What a great time to be turning 70." In four days' time, actually. It is an exciting season to be sure. Flowers everywhere, birds singing - an awakening and rebirth of nature all around. These past few weeks I have overcome some of my fears about the unknown journey ahead - getting older. Instead of regret, I am sensing a type of excitement about making connections with my past in ways that open up new emotional opportunities for the future. Self awareness becomes clearer, and I am discovering that it is a brand new developmental stage to be explored.
Over the weekend, I attended a baseball game, and as I was standing in line to buy some water, a group of men and women were chatting excitedly in front of me. One of the women wore a cape that had the name of the baseball team toward the bottom. At the top of the cape it read: It's my birthday! Her friends were wishing her well and telling her not to fret: "Thirty is the best time of your life!" They exclaimed. I smiled to myself thinking, "Wow! I am forty years older than her, and I feel as if 70 is the best time of my life. How lucky I am."
With older age, I find myself more patient than ever before. I enjoy time alone as never before. And, I don't feel the need to talk so much. Just the opposite: I enjoy listening and observing. I am relearning how to crotchet, and learning how to read the Torah. Both these skills take patience, and I find myself happily repeating and relearning every crotchet stitch, or each note for the sweet and cleverly complex Torah melodies.
So, as I count down to turning 70 and entering the silver years for real, I gather up colors and scents of flowers all around, and patiently hold still to enjoy every moment with each one.
Comments