"When We Grow Up..."

“I am convinced that most people do not grow up...We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up. I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies, and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are innocent and shy as magnolias.”

- Maya Angelou

     Something very important happened over the last three weeks.  My heart, my emotional well-being grew up.  They say the wisdom is wasted on the "young."  I think that's a cruel thing to say.  Growth is growth, if we allow it to happen.  Let's just say that that when we allow our loved ones to follow their own path, even if it's their last part of the journey, there has to be peace in knowing that no amount of memories, good, bad or otherwise will change what lies ahead for all of us.

     I have been thinking about aging lately.  Do we deny aging? Color our hair? Act like my eighth graders? Do we pretend that it's not happening? Or is it possible that there is more grace, more beauty in putting one foot in front of the other and simply living the life we were meant to live without regret.  Here is what I have learned lately: 

• We need our family.  We need to be listened to and to be loved...
• We need to keep our friendships.
• We need to be surrounded by those activities that keep us passionate.
• We need to laugh...My GOD do we need to laugh!
• We need to cry. 
• We need to forgive, NOT forget.  We need to forgive for our own health and emotional well-being.
• We need to accept our past, our pains, and embrace the world we have intuitively created.
• We need to love.  We need to embrace love more than hate. Hate may buy votes but it will not sustain what most of us instinctively feel...LOVE.
• AND sometimes it's really acceptable to be quiet and not say a thing...

     I have watched, observed and embraced.  I will continue to do so.  Will you? Will our modern society, put down their smart phones, look at the ones they love and see their truth? Will we pay attention to each other? Are we able to pay attention to each other the way we did before technology made everything "easier?"

     Watching the twilight years of someone I held in the highest esteem, letting them find their path, finally... Acknowledging that they are not perfect...has made me a stronger person.  It's made me a more "honest" partner.  Walk in someone else's shoes. Sounds cliche but do it.  Maybe once we do, we get the civilization we all yearn to have.  It really boils down to love.