Age took me

 

Age took me gently by the hand but I pulled away.

“No, I don’t want to go,” I said.

She smiled. “There’s nothing to fear. You will be okay.”

I held back, not fully trusting her.

“Remember the spring? You thought everything looked marvelous. So much to see and learn. You explored the world with exuberance,” she said.

“Yes, I did so much and had so much fun. I loved the spring and never wanted it to end.”

She continued, “And remember high school, your first boyfriend and your first kiss, more new friends you met and kept, Friday night dances in the gym, concerts in the park and treks to the beach in summer.”

I glowed with remembrance. “I cried when I graduated. I made so many friends. Some are still friends to this day.”

Age put her arm around my shoulders. “And then in summer you matured and took on new responsibilities as wife and mother, but never stopped learning. You loved your career as a nurse. You enjoyed watching your children grow up and make a life of their own. You taught them well.”

I leaned into her comforting arm. “Summer felt hectic at times but also filled with fun.”

She turned me to face her. “Talk about fun, the autumn brought you to a time when your responsibilities lessened and you had better finances to allow you to travel. Look at the places you been…40 states, 12 countries, 17 cruises and 26 Elderhostels where you continued to learn. You even took on a second career selling real estate."

She drew a breath and continued. "And all the dancing you did…square dancing, ballroom dancing and tap dancing, leading you to the Central Coast Follies where you danced on stage.”

I loved the autumn and wanted to stay there, but arthritis and joint replacements curtailed my activities.

Age hugged me to her. “All through these seasons, you had your share of heartache and challenges but the joy in your life overshadowed the pain. Do you remember the time you told a friend that you were glad you’re not in a relationship? When she asked why, you said, ‘I don't have the highs but I sure don’t miss those lows.”

I laughed as I remembered my friend's response. “She said, Now Mary, You’re a nurse. You know when a patient is on the heart monitor, it goes up and down. When it goes straight across, you know what that means…the patient is dead.”

“Ups and downs, that’s life,” Age said. “And the winter will be no different. You’ll continue to learn, you’ll continue to make new friends and there will be joy in your life, but also pain. 

Let it all in. Meet with open arms whatever life has in store for you and embrace it. Live the rest of your life.”

Then once again, age took me gently by the hand and I followed without hesitation.