A Wave From the Grave

A hello from the other side greeted me this week and I’ve decided to call it official: I’m getting older. Well, that’s the soft version, cuz aren’t we all? Here’s the reality-check version: I’m aging.

It’s no longer simply that my proper-name retrieval system seems to have bugs. It’s that I’ve officially joined the ranks of the 60+ year-old members of our population who have … eye floaters.

Yes, I have my very own first one. Mine shows up like a teeny tiny black gnat that flickers across my line of sight from time to time every day. Nothing awful on its own, and nothing can be done about it. (Yes, confirmed by my visit to my fav eye doctor. If you’re itching to know more, that’s what the Internet is for… And, disclaimer: I am NOT dispensing any medical advice here.)

Sooo many thoughts now. For one, I find the whole thing personally insulting. A pest that won’t go away. A fly swatter is no help here, even as I’m tempted to grab one. My sane self helps me with this decision. I live newly with my powerlessness here.

So, what now? Back to my life. Except. Not so fast. I have a new friend.

Ok, that sounds weird.

A new boarder living with me, taking up, and perhaps opening up, mental space.

More viscerally, it’s a quiet, daily reminder that my body has a shelf-life, as do I.

Perhaps I have a new accountability partner? In the midst of an activity it pops up as if to ask: Is this how you want to spend your time?

Most of us ask ourselves that question on random days and phases of life, but most often at transition points and crossroads moments. As we age, the sharpness of the question carries greater freight.

So, with regard to my newly permanent side-kick, I’m choosing curiosity, instead of fly-swatting as my mindset. With a side-salad of acceptance.

I’d love to hear what comes up for you.

How are you treating your time these days?

What’s working well – and not so much?