Recently over lunch, a friend shared photos of his relative sky diving at the age of 90. There are several people in our own lives we can think of who live with this spirit. It is always inspiring to see people challenging their physical age and doing things they enjoy. However, there is much to observe and learn from such people.
The enthusiasm for life is what keeps them going. They realise that life is a gift till their last breath, not to be wasted. Their enthusiasm keeps them young at heart. We don’t need to wait to be 90 to live each day with enthusiasm.
Their zest for experiencing things helps them overcome physical limitations. They create the opportunity for doing things they always wanted to, realising that they would have lived a rich life through their wealth of experiences. We don’t need to wait to be 90 to give ourselves the experiences life has to offer.
They recognise their physical limitations, yet they don’t stop living. They find a way to continue living, giving themselves the best. We don’t need to wait to be 90 to realise that in spite of challenges, we need to keep giving ourselves the best.
They don’t miss the possessions they don’t have; they miss the people who are no longer there. We don’t need to wait to be 90 to realise that life is about spending time with the people we love when we do have the opportunity.
They fondly recount the past, laughing at life and quietly shedding a tear. They speak of the past as ‘those good old days’. We don’t need to wait to be 90 to realise that today needs to be lived as best as we can, because today will be that good old day we will fondly remember.
They don’t ask for more, but often wish they had more time. We don’t need to wait to be 90 to realise that time is the most valuable thing we have, here and now.
When we do share our complex problems with them, they often comfort us with their knowing smile, telling us that things will sort themselves out. We don’t need to wait to be 90 to develop the faith and understanding that life has a way of playing out, and that this too shall pass.
Whether it be a 90-year-old sky diving, or a 100-year-old running the marathon, these gems in the world send us a message just by the way they live their lives; if there is something that we want to give ourselves, we need to learn to overcome the fear and noise in our mind and just do it. We don’t need to wait.
(Picture – An art installation in Kunstmuseum, Basel)
Very apt. A senior citizen wrote, “You can’t do anything about birth and death except enjoy the interval between them.”