it’s inevitable

Change will happen.  It’s inevitable and unavoidable as we enter what many people call the “golden years”.  Some of my friends fight it and, much to their displeasure, an unplanned change in life occurs.  Living situations, loss of loved ones, financial nightmares, health issues, giving up the driver’s license, a decrease in mobility are all situations we will confront.  But, guess what?  Life happens and no matter how much we plan and connive we need to be flexible.

We can be extremely grateful that the fundamentals of our recovery program have taught us to live “one day at a time” and “let go and let God”.  Our hours and days of worry, concern, and planning will only grant us misery when our way does not conform with the unfolding life ahead of us.  Some of us find comfort in thinking that the days are numbered and a gracious Higher Power will remove us (take us home) when the going gets tough.  Wake up and smell your coffee, ye fools.  Life keeps rocking on here and now in this day which God has given.  We are created to be survivors, not wimps boohooing in our Geritol cocktails.

Yes, I am speaking also to myself because I am, just like you, concerned about a very unpredictable future.  Our country is unstable, the world is a mess, and I am trying to maintain a roof over my head and food on my table with only the monthly stipend which my government, which does not know how to handle money, deems appropriate to the amount which has been forcibly extracted from me into the disappearing fund over my entire working life.  And, considering the powers who control the money, your sizable retirement funds could be as insecure as my meager Social Security.  Should we worry?  Yes, of course, but, I will not.  I intend to live another 30 years and I refuse to waste that precious time.

A pleasure of the retired, poverty years is having the time to read.  My local library has tens of thousands of books of all descriptions and I find extreme satisfaction in using this free resource numerous times weekly.  I came across this poem which sweetly tells us that we should enjoy the things of “now” because it will end someday.

At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this day.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.

OTHERWISE by Jane Kenyon