Birthday -- 2017

23 July 2017

A REFLECTION.....

Every year on the occasion of my birthday I am encouraged by a little writer in me to put to words a reflection of the years past and share it with my FB friends and family whom have humbled me by their beautiful birthday greetings, this year shan't be any different.

Many moons ago I’ve decided to look at ‘getting older‘ with a different perspective, and many moons ago I have realized that there are certain advantages to aging.

I have realized that life is not about challenging nature, but about finding and aligning with one’s own nature. After all how else can we contribute to life other than through finding out who we truly are, and living as our true self.

Now-a-days when I look in the mirror while I am taken back momentarily by the reflection of the old self that lives within me, I no longer agonize over a few more gray hairs, or the few new wrinkles, or the sagging body parts which seemed to have been un-besieged to the law of the gravity till just a few years ago. I know exactly what has caused those new stands of gray hair and feel blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray & to have my laugh lines be etched into deep grooves on my face. So many have never laughed, so many have never truly loved, and so many have died too early and before their hair could turn silver.

It seems that years end up teaching one a few things, one learns to be more accepting of life’s circumstances, one learns that the only constant in life is ‘change’, one learns of fragility of life, hence one becomes more appreciative of ‘now’ and ‘what is‘ and learn to lament less about what could have been or worry about what will be.

Many years also translates to many times when one’s heart has been broken, be it over a loss of a loved one or over a broken relationship or witnessing the ills of the world - wars, destruction, displacements - or suffering of a child, but broken hearts are what gives us strength, understanding, awareness and compassion.

Years not only teach us ‘endurance’ but also teach us ability to differentiate between ‘being alone’ and ‘feeling lonely.’ One also learns to find courage to face ‘being alone’ in face of life circumstances such as; one’s children growing up and leaving the nest, or break up of one's marriage, or when one’s spouse/partner passes away, knowing that being ‘alone’ is not as same as feeling ‘lonely‘ and is much easier to deal with.

As I’ve aged I have learned to become kinder and a little less critical of myself. The more I look around and the more I look inside me, the more I am convinced of those old words of wisdom: "as above, so below; as within, so without."

I feel that years has granted me a certain freedom and the courage to dive into the waves of life with abandon and swim against the current in search of my little cove. I no longer chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for losing myself in pages of a good book until 4 am, I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, or to be extravagant every once in a while. I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon, before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

As I’ve gotten older, my circle of friends have become smaller, I have learned what is important in life and in a person, hence I now choose qualitatively as opposed to quantitatively. I value my friends based on the essence of who they are, their compassion, consciousness, consideration and kindness. The benchmark for a friendship is no longer based on a shared opinions, political or otherwise, but whether or not we share the same values when it comes to notion of humanity, justice, compassion, human life, rights and dignity.

The only draw back of getting older is being forgetful, I am aware that I am becoming more forgetful but frankly some of life is just as well forgotten but I know that I would eventually remember the important things. My mind may play a trick on me but my heart never forgets the important people as dust of time shall never settle on the people we love and with one gentle touch, they would shine through as they always did.

All I know is that I would never trade my amazing friends and my loving family for less gray hair, less wrinkles or a flatter belly. I am who I have become through my friends and what they and life has taught me.

Thank you for your beautiful and touching well wishes & messages and let me end yet another ‘novelette’ , with some verses from heart;

A grain of wheat for a decade or more;
Until a farmer took it out of the store;
He planted the grain somewhere in his farm;
Tended to the soil, kept away from harm.

The grain of wheat somehow just knew;
Without instruction spontaneously grew;
Fulfilled its fate, brought forth more wheat;
The passage of time wheat could not defeat.

Even a decade of stillness and rest;
Wheat of potency did not divest;
Sprouting and growth was weeds innate gift;
Through passing of time, this gift did not drift.

Talent or fate, our innate gifts;
Always within waiting for a shift;
Too many years, idly we may drift;
But when we shift, our gift will uplift.
Have faith in your gift, your wisdom innate;
Before you pass on, your life consummate.

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END.