I Am A NOW Person – Life at a “Certain Age”

Life is a little different in a 55+ residential community.  We have lived at Palos Verdes Shores for almost a year and a half and we love it.  It is quieter, safer, slower…and it all feels good.  When we pull into the PV Shores Community, we wave to the guard at the gate and sigh… “HOME…We love living here!”  

Just down from the gate is our Message Board, which reminds us of the date (in case we forgot!), the time, the temperature and any notices about upcoming events.  It is like a welcome home.  One day I noticed a person’s name listed on the board. I assumed it was welcoming a new resident and when I remarked to a neighbor that I had never noticed that before and I wondered why our name was not put up when we moved in her response was… “You don’t want your name on the message board!  It is the park’s way of acknowledging the death of one of the residents."

In living at our paradise by the sea that is perfect for our golden years, where we have constant reminders of the beauty and richness of life, we are also reminded that it is fleeting and fragile.  We will not be here forever so we should gather our rosebuds while we may.  Some may find this depressing but for us, it seems to have the opposite effect.  It gives us a deep sense of gratitude for what we have NOW, for the health we experience NOW, for the people in our life we love and enjoy NOW and we take each day as it comes, more willing to just experience the moment and not worry too much about what may come. 

Yes, there are moments of regret, moments of frustration, moments of anger.  I wonder “How did time pass so quickly!”  There are times of nostalgia when wish I could have just a few more moments with my children as little ones, that I could have just one more conversation with my mom or dad.  But they are few and far between.  Lately I seem reluctant to waste precious minutes and energy in holding on to grudges, being annoyed.   

The gift for me of life at a "certain age" is a sense of freedom…liberation.  Why does it take so long to learn that you can put down that rock you are carrying…that is weighing you down.  It is not that important in the grand scheme of things.

I am not being morbid.  I plan to be around for quite a while yet.  What are the odds?  My mother died at 95 years of age and I look like her so maybe I have her genes as well!  But I hope I can use these years wisely and squeeze every bit of “life” out of them, remembering that life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.   

“Look….there is a whale’s spout!”