Thursday, September 15, 2011

Zero to Thirty -Thirty to Sixty - Sixty to Ninety

We are all in one of the above titled stretches of years - spans if you will.  And I can tell you with confidence that the view from 'sixty' to 'ninety is way different than the view in 'zero to thirty'  . and 'thirty to sixty'.

When I think of what I understand now as opposed to when I was say, twenty or forty, I am awe struck.   It seems that the first thirty years are gauged on learning and planning and  gaining an identity of self and choice and style, the second thirty is about being and doing and realizing and putting in to motion our life's quests and desires. The third thirty is a time of reaping the fruits of our choices, some ripened and sweet, some rotted and fallen, some perhaps still ripening but for the most part by the last thirty years we are who we are and we celebrate and regret and believe and doubt and know and wonder and surrender and fight and all from a centered place of self and truth and reality that has been developing for sixty years.  There are lines and ware and signs of aging, memories galore of sorrow, happiness, broken hearts, strengths, weakness, love, pain, health and sickness, children, family, -  friends have come and gone, and a few forever friends remain.

What's important has changed drastically - and whats hoped for has too.  I hope for another 30 years of love and health and peace and mobility with my guy Skipp.  I hope that MS does not take over. I hope that my children 'remember' and acknowledge family and faith and God.  I hope for a simple home with enough food and warmth to sustain and laughter and music and LOVE  in volume.  I hope for courage and strength and faith to face whatever lies ahead and I hope for joy in the simplest of miracles and nature's beauty and gifts in every day. I hope for hugs and smiles, tears and rage at injustice.  I hope to be remembered (closer to the ninety mark not sixty-phew.),  because I made a positive, loving and purposeful difference.  Amen.





29 comments:

Anne said...

Gail,
Love this post! You have said it all so beautifully. The aging process we can not stop, but we can learn from the past, and accept what has happenned through the years and move on to the next part of our lives to continue our dreams and hopes. Amen!

Eileen said...

"...hope to be remembered because I made a positive, loving, and purposeful difference." Pure poetry! And I'm sure your hope will come to fruition. For you have touched so many in a positive, loving, and purposeful way.

Beautiful assessment of the 'pockets' of your (and most of us) life too.

All best wishes to you, Gail, for today and for the 'sixty to ninety' and beyond!
Love and Prayers,
Eileen

Wanda..... said...

Leann Rimes has been a favorite of mine for years. The video was very moving, goes well with your post, Gail. The sixties have been rewarding years for me too. I've been with my guy Richard for over 50 years, like you, I hope for 30 more too.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

May all your hopes be realized dear Gail.

Gail said...

HELLO ANNE - I am so happy to see you and I SO appreciate your words of wisdom and hope.

HI EILEEN - I know you get it for so many similar reasons of our lives. It is so wonderful to have you on this journey with me, albeit in blog land it is life giving all the same.

GI WANDA - I so appreciate your life and wisdoms and how you live and give and understand. love your nature land and all that it represrnts in family and goodness and love.

AND BONNIE - "thank you" for all you share and create to make this world a better place. I am forever inspired for knowing you.

Love to you all
Gail
peace.....

Diana said...

Beautifully said Gail! And I think you are right on. I'm still in the second thirty and am much more comfortable with myself and life in general than I was in the first thirty. Here's to the next thirty!! Love Di ♥

Gail said...

HI DI - So good to see you :-) And I knew you would 'get' the concept as you are one who truly appreciates life, family, time....
Love Gail
peace.......

Just Be Real said...

I am right there with you Gail. Great post and analogy. Brings a lot of thought. Especially, where did all those early years go? Blessings and hugs.

Gail said...

HI JBR - so glad you came by. And ya, those early years, the first thirty, - flew by!
Love to you
Gail
peace.....

Unknown said...

0 to 30? I was not done early learning, it took untill maybe 50 or so to say that portion was set. Then of course a reset - the operation. The operation - maybe not yet in 30 to 60 yet again....One day I will get there...ha!

Gail said...

HI JOEY - Always so good to have you come by for a visit :-) And I so appreciate your words of personal understanding.
Love to you
Gail
peace.......

Tracey said...

Wow, Gail - this was an amazing post! I LOVED it. Sorry I'm so late to reading it. Good food for thought -let me go read again & figure out exactly where I am in these span of years (lol!) I hope & pray that ALL of your dreams & wishes manifest, & that you & your guy, Skip last an eternity! :-)

Lisa said...

Hey Gail! So happy to hear from you.

Great post! as a mother of three teen children and a five year old I wonder how is it I thought I knew so much when I was their age but now that I'm a little , just a little :) ))older I know nothing. I'm so glad to know there is hope for me yet.

May all your hopes and dreams come true Gail
xoxo

Lola said...

great post, Gail.
Thank you for this.
I love your attitute towards life, you're so positive.
I will pray for you.
love

Grizz………… said...

Life's path is a bittersweet journey. We've made mistakes, lost the trail, caused pain to ourselves and others. And said goodbye to too many dear friends. Wasted precious time and energy.

By the time we reach the "sixty-to-ninety" mark, I think most of us have learned how to live and love and be happy, learned the joy of simplicity and paring down, realized that it doesn't take much to fulfill our needs—but understand how those few things are, indeed, vitally important.

God and faith, family, love, health, peace, mobility, home. Food on the table. Shared meals. A good night's sleep. Birdsong and wildflowers and sunsets for beauty. Books. Music. Sun on your face and a hearthfire on a cold winter's evening. An old dog you thinks you hung the moon…

Not much…so why did it take so long to realize?

I hope and believe that your coming years will be many and filled with joy. There will be pain and hardships, of course…we can't ask or expect to avoid our measure; a mountain top is meaningless, just flat ground, without valleys. But I believe you'll face nothing you can't overcome—and in that overcoming, find new truth and meaning and strength in the process.

A fine and thoughtful post, filled with truth and wisdom and no small measure of love.

Gail said...

HI TRACEY _ I am so happy you came by, happy too that we found one another thru the GOJ and 'Selah' :-)

Love to you
Gail
peace......

Gail said...

HI LISA - so glad to have you visit and share. Three teenagers and a five year old? Wow. :-)
Love Gail
peace.....

Gail said...

HI LOLA - so nice t have you visit me here. So glad you enjoyed the post.
Love Gail
peace......

Gail said...

HI GRIZZ - oh my, I know you would so get the post I wrote and see it for what it is and from they years of 'living' and surrendering it took to 'know', or think I know!! :-)
Your faith in me is most humbling and inspiring too. I am honored that you hold me in such regard. I am so overwhelmed by you in the best of ways.
Love Gail
peace......

Jackie said...

You are a wise woman, Gail.
I wish for your sixty to ninety to be the best ever. I do.
Love,
Jackie

Gail said...

HI JACKIE - so glad you came by. And I am so appreciate your kind words.
Love Gail
peace......

Shen said...

Beautiful - and I think you will be remembered for that kind of beauty.

My oldest daughter, who is twenty-three, told me she assumed people my age (I'm in my fifties) became more religious or spiritual because they feared death.

I said, no. I fear death much less now than I did when I was your age. The thing is (much like you wrote here) in the first decades of life we are very much caught up in creating ourselves - working on education, finding relationships, choosing careers, having children and raising them...

Then, one day, we realize we've already established all of those things. It doesn't mean there are no more mountains to climb, it just means the pressure is off. We don't have to prove anything anymore, so we can look honestly at who we are inside. Finally, there is time and energy to focus on that inner life, and for me a big piece of that is my spiritual connection. It is where I find peace.

When I was twenty or thirty, I feared losing my life because I had important life work to do.

Now, I enjoy my life more than ever, but I don't feel so threatened by death. It will come when it comes and I will accept what I have in the meantime.

Of course I still have those moments of fear, but they are just not as bad as they used to be. It's good to know oneself. It's good to be here and be watching from this side of the fence as others make their way.

Gail said...

HI SHEN - So happyto see you. :-) And I agree 100% w/every word you wrote - you are quite wise and well stated and I love that you "get it".
Love Gail
'peace....

Just Be Real said...

Hugs to you Gail.....

Gail said...

((((((((JBR)))))))))))))))

Birdie said...

Dear Gail, so very nice to meet you!! I believe that if You do believe in your 'hopes' and dreams than they will come true! :-)It's a beautifully written post, in deed, so much wisdom in here. Thank you!
Gail, please, may I have your email contact I would like to thank you for the GOJ personally and to introduce myself more as well, thank you! :-) You made my heart sing today! Love!!

Gail said...

HI BIRDIE - I am so glad you came by - and that we have found one another - I so look forward to our getting to know one another over time :-) I am so glad the GOJ arrived safely - I will go over to your blog and give you my email.
Love Gail
peace.....

Rose Marie Raccioppi said...

YES, my dear Gail, who we are is ever in the process of change and refinement. Wisdom indeed becomes the hallmark of time, if we allow ourselves to be ever open to exploration and discovery. At 50 years of age, I gave myself full permission to be ME and have enjoyed her company ever since. ;-)

Love and laughter dear friend for all you days,
Rose Marie

Gail said...

HI ROSEMARIE - so nice to see you here. And yes, permission indeed! I too am me with little defense for any of what that means :-)

Love to you always my friend
Gail
peace.....