Age and Winter
I’ve read several stories and poems about getting and feeling “OLD”.
Having less time between dawn and dusk and the coming holidays which bring memories of the past, is hard on the mind. Sadness, anxiety, and depression can plague us. We feel old.
Even if I look forward to the celebration of connecting with friends and family, I still miss the carefree times of the past.
And remember the bad times too. I know that people and beloved animals are missing from the “table”. The ugliness and turmoil of bad winter celebrations are clearer at this time even when they are shoved to the back of my mental closet and buried under forgotten presents. I think we all do this as we age.
This will be my sixty-ninth Christmas. I don’t celebrate much anymore, but I’m looking forward to 69 more. Life doesn’t stop as I age. It only changes. And, I want to be there to experience it.
For now, I hunker-down with my dogs and cat, hug my partner, feed the wild birds that have stayed for the winter (a small woodpecker is hanging around), and enjoy the sunrises and usually blue sky. And I breathe deeply of the fresh cool air.
Winter is real, but age is relative. I find that I have more perspective as I give time to this adventure.
