Aging with Grace

I stood before her asserting my age, but in truth not knowing where the years had gone or how they led to this moment.

David Dabydeen

I borrowed the title of today’s post from Alexander Pope. I agree with him. The years, months, weeks, days and even minutes, fly by quickly. I took this photo as the afternoon sun moved around the back of the patio toward what would, eventually, become sunset. Everyday, I look at at the branches of this tree and I watch them change.

After what began as a cool, snowy spring, I noticed buds beginning to sprout on the tree’s branches.This morning, the buds had opened up into a curtain of green. I was taken back by how quickly this had happened. After a couple of days with eighty degree temperatures, it seemed winter was running at full speed toward summer and rushing past spring, entirely. Colorado seasons are like that. Sometimes, we don’t have time to enjoy one season before we have moved on to the next.

I remember commenting to a new parent about how quickly the time goes before toddlers are graduating from college. I got a look that said, “Yeah, right.” I get it. When you are in the midst of raising children, you wonder if they will ever sleep through the night or when they will be old enough for school. Only after they have left home do you look back and realize how quickly the time went by.

When I was growing up I would voice my frustration with time moving slowly to my grandmother. Her answer was always the same, “Don’t wish your life away.” Now, I understand. It’s true, time flies swiftly by. Enjoy each moment before you rush ahead to the next.