Enjoy your Age

This photo was taken last year at a family reunion when my eldest niece turned 16. It was a very happy day since I do not have the chance to see my family so often as we lived in two different hemispheres. 

I like the laughter, the silliness and how much we care for each other. Now that I am in my early sixties I´ve come to the realization that I enjoy these gatherings more and more. Life is too short and kids grow too fast, I don´t want to miss them.

"In each stage of life, there are wonderful experiences one can savor and valuable insights one can absorb. Every new decade and, in fact, every new year brings with it wisdom, transformation, and growth, as well as ends and beginnings.   Taking pleasure in the delights of your age, whether you are in your 20s, 40s, 60s, or 80s, can help you see the magnificence and usefulness of the complex seasons of your life. 

Each new year gifted to us by the universe is replete with exciting and unfamiliar experiences. In our 20s, we can embrace the energy of youth and the learning process, knowing it's okay to not have all the answers. As we move through our third decade, we grow more self-assured as the confusion of our young adulthood melts away. We can honor these years by putting aside our fears of aging and concentrating instead on solidifying our values and enjoying our growing emotional maturity. In our 40s, we become conscious of the wisdom we have attained through life experience and are blessed with the ability to put it to good use. We are not afraid to explore unfamiliar territory or to change. In our 50s, we tend to have successfully navigated our midlife reevaluations and have prioritized our lives. In the decades beyond, we discover a greater sense of freedom than we have ever known and can truly enjoy the memory of all we've seen and done." (Madison Taylor)

 

With all that takes place in our lives, it can sometimes be easy to overlook the fact that we´re part of something greater than ourselves- a collective consciousness, the Universe, a greater cause. Because of our tendency to forget this, we might make decisions in our lives that don´t reflect that responsibility that comes with this belonging.

Contributing to the greater cause doesn't have to be all about self-sacrifice. For example, if you plant a tree in a community space, its shelter will cool and protect you as well as your neighbors. Or, your reward might be in the form of the beauty that you now see in that space or the sincere smiles of appreciation from neighbors. When you serve the greater cause you also serve your greater good. There is nothing that you cannot do for your highest good that will not benefit the good of all. For example, saying no to a relationship that isn't right for you not only benefits you but serves the greater good of the other person that you are honoring with your honesty. Saying yes to your dream job not only fulfills you but also serves the people that will benefit from your enthusiasm and productivity. 

When you know you are serving a greater cause, there is little room for fear and doubt. You know that what you do will benefit others, so there is no way the universe is not going to support your efforts - even if sometimes it may not look that way. Serving the greater cause allows you to live from the space of your greatness. When you know that what you do can serve a greater cause, you are aware of your power and ability to influence and create change in this world.

These wonderful words belong to the article A Greater Cause by Madison Taylo in the Daily OM. It does help to provide meaning to some of our habitual actions!

My dear schoolmates in the one-year-planned meeting in Las Vegas, US. They all had a good time, enjoyed the limo ride and the buffet but above all, the friendship. 

We left school in 1971 but have kept meeting every month of every year since then. We look forward to these monthly meetings where we chat, laugh, sing and dance. We leave them with a smile in the face and a light feeling in the heart.

This unforgettable trip to US was made possible thanks to our host and new Spring Queen, America. Let´s hope this is the first of many more events to come.

Love you ladies!

Generosity

In the near future some of my school friends and I will be embarking in a trip  to celebrate our Class 71 dinner party in Las Vegas but will spend some time before that enjoying the hospitality of another school friend who lives in Los Angeles. 

My friend America has a heart as big as the continent whose name she shares. She has invited us to her home-there are 10 of us- and to sightsee Los Angeles and then she will take us to Las Vegas where she is paying for a time share for all of us to have our dinner party together.

I am sure that will be a blast. We have all been excited for months and that not only has created expectations but also strengthen the bonding between some of us.

My friend is not a millionaire but a successful entrepreneur who knows how to take good advantage of the miles and reward points you get by using your credit card. Why does she "waste" her points in us? Because making us happy makes her happy. It is always in giving that we receive. 

And talking about generosity, here is a quote from The Daily Om on unconditional generosity, an issue Ame knows so well.

Sometimes when we practice generosity, we practice it conditionally. We might be expecting to "receive back" from the person to whom we gave. We might even become angry or resentful if that person doesn't reciprocate. However, trust in the natural flow of energy, and you will find yourself practicing generosity with no strings attached. This is the purest form of giving. Remember that what you send out will always come back you. Selflessly help a friend in need without expecting them to return the same favor in the same way, and know that you, too, will receive that support from the universe when you need it. Besides, while giving conditionally creates stress (because we are waiting with an invisible balance sheet to receive our due), giving unconditionally creates and generates abundance. We give freely, because we trust that there is always an unlimited supply. 

My Mum turns 88 this year and for the last 6 she has been experiencing the effects of Alzheimer. In spite of her fading memory, she seems to be happy, smiles very often and loves presents. She believes I am her Mum so I need to introduce myself every time and then she realizes She is my Mum. She just smiles when this happens. 

In one of my night time reading sessions I read the article below and decided to share it since it does sums up the feelings of people like me, those who have become the guardians of their aging parents.

Aging Parents

BY MADISYN TAYLOR Dealing with an aging parent is part of the challenges and blessings that are part of the cycle of life. For most of us a natural part of the cycle of life is when our roles as children start to shift from that into caretaking roles where are parents are concerned. This can be as major moving a parent into a retirement facility, or coming to the realization that it's necessary to check in with them more often than usual. Whatever the case, such a shift is momentous as it signals a time of confronting our own mortality as we confront that of our parents. In addition, it can bring up issues about how well they cared for us when we were young. We may also find ourselves consumed with fear at the thought of losing them, even if we've been on our own for a very long time. Talking to other friends and family who are going through similar experiences can be a large source of support. They can help us look at both the unresolved past and the unfolding present, and we are free to talk only about ourselves. Sometimes we need the kind of undivided attention a friend can offer in order to deal with the material that comes up at this time of our lives. In many ways, this time of life signals a rebirth as we examine our individual past, as well as our familial past. As our parents' lives move toward completion, we are able to see what they did with their time on earth, what we have done so far with our time, and what we might want to do with the time we have left. These challenges and blessings are all part of the cycle of life.

I am really excited with the beginning of this new year. I am full of plans, wishes and activities. I do not search for recognition or money, I just want to be happy and spend time with my loved ones.

I am reading more and bumped into this, I do love it. 

We have a habit of presenting life with a set of conditions--ifs and whens that must be fulfilled before we will say yes to the gift of our lives. Now is the time for each of us to bloom where we are planted, overriding our tendency to hold back. Now is the time to say yes, to be brave and commit fully to ourselves, because until we do no one else will. Now is the time to be vulnerable, unfolding delicately yet fully into the space in which we find ourselves.

Welcome to the best year of your life!! This is the time for falling deeply and passionately in love-with yourself. Loving yourself is the most essential pre requisite to living your best life. So..let´s do it!!