Posted on 06/08/2022 10:52:52 AM PDT by upchuck
Hat tip to my friend Leo in NJ. He and I are the same age. Old :-)
Most of us are now in the last quarter of our life and should read this interesting piece of advice. This is one of the nicest and most gentle articles I’ve read in a while: no politics, no religion and no racial issues - just food for thought.
The Last Quarter - author unknown
Time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young and embarking on my new life. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then, and of all my hopes and dreams. However, here it is... the last quarter of my life and it catches me by surprise.
How did I get here so fast?
Where did the years go and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first quarter and that the fourth quarter was so far off that I could not visualize it or imagine fully what it would be like. Yet, here it is, my friends are retired, and getting grey. They move slower, and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me but I see the great change. They’re not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd become.
Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day and taking a nap is not a treat anymore. It's mandatory because if I don't of my own free will, I fall asleep where I sit. And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did. But at least I know that, though I’m on the last quarter and I'm not sure how long it will last, that when it's over on this earth, it's over. A new adventure will begin!
Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done; things I should have done but truly there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.
So, if you're not on the last quarter yet, let me remind you that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life do it quickly. Don't put things off too long. Life goes by so quickly. Do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you're in the last quarter or not. You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of life. Say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember, and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the past years.
Remember, it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.
Life is a gift to you.
Be Happy! Have a great day!
if i knew i was going to live this long, i’d have taken better care of my body...
Agree 100%. Bump!
You can’t live in the “past” and the “future” is unknown. You can only live in the “present”.
So live every day like it is a “present”. It really is!
“Do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you’re in the last quarter or not. ”
Some of us know for sure but it’s a possibility for everyone, no matter your age.
To quote a friend of mine that may have stolen it from someone else....
“What I used to do all night now takes me all night to do.”
We’re at the age where we’re doing more things for the last time and fewer things for the first time.....
Into my second quarter. Wrecked knee, back, shoulders, elbow, etc.
Cannot say that I didn’t have fun.
Kudos to you 3rd quarters, thanks for the wisdom!
Anyone heard from mylife?
Several decades ago, on a beautiful spring morning, I watched a lovely, young girl drift by on a pink raft in the current below my beach condo. I knew who she was: the 16-year old daughter of a wealthy New Orleans family, whose vacation home stood two doors down from mine. She was ravishing, well-spoken, very bright and utterly charming. And... she had a terrible crush on my fiance’!
There I was, looking down a bit enviously at the swan— this superbly fit, perfectly tanned angel-girl. I saw my reflection in the door glass. I was, after all, approaching my late 20’s! As mentioned, this unforgettable ‘snapshot’ in time happened long ago. Now, I have entered the third quarter of my life.
I still remember the swan’s personality, her laughing voice, her friendliness. But what is most unforgettable is something she unwittingly taught me. Some years before she reached the age I was when I watched her with envy that day, she died during a simple, routine surgery - an anesthesiologist’s fatal error. It was a devastation, a tragedy for all who knew her; much more, who loved her. I had decades of life to live. This sweet girl was already nearing her last quarter.
Now, when I see a young person flit by, especially a girl, I realize she can never take anything from me. I have my earthly glories and accomplishments; my blessings and treasured memories. Now, it is her turn, and a little piece of my heart goes with her.
We all are subject to God’s will; hostages to fortune, or what have you. Enjoy your lives and be grateful for the lagniappes... the icing and cherries on top. God bless you, “Snuffy”.
Well said!
Thank you!
I am still here.
God bless you bro! Just have not seen you around!
Thanks for the recollection. A lesson we should learn well!
or the ever popular:
i not as good as i once was
but i’m as good once as i ever was... 8^)
amen...
Ping
Thanks also to you for helping me to better remember that life lesson. Your initial post drew my memory of Snuffy into deeper focus. Much gratitude.
You’re welcome.
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