Aging with Grace

The past is never dead. It’s not even past

William Faulkner

This is one of my favorite photos. I took it, several years ago, during a walk through the fall foliage. I am mesmerized by the glimpse of what lies beneath the fallen leaves. What is past still remains just below the surface. It is never truly buried.

We sometimes hear, “What has passed is past,” as encouragement to stop worrying. Although I’d like to be encouraging, I agree with Faulkner. I don’t believe we can escape the past. There may be things we would like to forget, however they never actually go away. They remain part of what has shaped us into who we are.

I don’t believe the idea the past remains with us has to be negative. Instead of trying to bury what is below the surface, we could cherish it for what it has taught us. Our past doesn’t have to define who we are. It could be used has a learning tool to become better.