Whether we live in Locust, Mint Hill, Matthews, or Waxhaw including the surrounding area we certainly have our share of seniors. Many have lived in this area for decades and want to remain. Others have moved into the area from other locations to retire, while some want to be close to family, friends, near excellent medical facilities in a vibrant growing community.
As a senior myself I have aged, I’ve become kinder to myself, less critical of myself, and have learned to become my own friend. We have witnessed family members, friends and associates leave this world, many much to soon. They did not get the opportunity to understand the great freedom that we have earned from aging.
It’s no ones business if we choose to read, workout, take walks in the park, or google on our computer until late in the evening. We can certainly sleep in during the mornings on weekdays and always on weekends if we had a busy week.
We can take trips anytime we please, we can swim in a pool, walk on the beach, hike a mountain trail, play with and teach our grandchildren, volunteer, write a story and much more on our own time.
Sometimes we are a little forgetful, however, some things in life are better off forgotten. But we eventually remember the important things which for me always involves family, friends and beautiful spouse, my loyal special partner in life for 42 years.
Over the years my heart has been broken and people have disappointed me. However, how can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, a good friend, comrade, when a child suffers, or the loss of a beloved pet. But it is the broken heart that gives us the strength, understanding, compassion and courage to move forward. To continue to make a difference in this life, to remain relevant and productive. We must remember a heart that was never broken has not fully lived, because we all experience pain and disappointment sometime in our life.
We seniors must consider ourselves blessed to have lived long enough to watch our children grow up to become responsible citizens, parents, and spouses. I have witnessed before my eyes to see the beautiful young woman I married mature with grace and dignity. Yes our hair has turned gray, we walk a little slower and sometimes young folks think we get in the way.
However, as we age we become more positive, we care less about what others think, we become set in our ways and beliefs, mostly through experience, we question ourselves less and have earned the right to live out life’s journey.
Therefore, being a senior has it’s advantages, people now call me sir, we get discounts, we don’t have to commute, travel far distances away from family for business and so much more. We should enjoy being a senior, it has given us the freedom to be whatever we want to become in our twilight years in the circle of life.
We won’t live forever on this good earth, but while we are still here we should not waste time on thinking about what could have been, or worry to much about the future, for this belongs to the next generations to get right. So when my honey bakes her delicious chocolate chip cookies, biscotti, apple or blueberry pie I will sit down and enjoy my fair share, I guarantee it.
