Posted on 03/17/2024 2:10:13 PM PDT by Cronos
Being in the late evening of life we learn to reflect, to meditate on things lost and gained, to contemplate a society alien to the one we once knew. But ageing does not mean retreating from the world.
A young male writer turned 60 recently and complained about getting old. Please, I thought, I’ve unwound nine-tenths of my mortal coil, don’t tell me about getting old, young whippersnapper
...As I slide towards my ninth decade there are many things I regret. I regret that I did not stop and breathe more often; that I was not kinder more often; that I sometimes suffered fools for too long. I regret not knowing the constellations of the night sky, comparative mythology, how to speak Italian and Arabic fluently, how to ride a motorbike, play mahjong and dance tango. Then there are all the books I have not read – many of which sit beside my bed. Some days this list seems endless.
The young 60-year-old writer has rich times ahead of him. Family, friends, knowledge, wisdom – the rich tapestry of life to enjoy. One day he will join those of us on the very slippery slope, rising unsteadily from the cafe chair, an hour of life measured out in Prufrock’s coffee spoons, souls on the edge of transit, revelling in the kaleidoscope of memories and in plans for the next exciting feasible adventure. Until then he is welcome to smile at all the ninth- and even tenth-decade souls he passes.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
I have had plenty of time to breathe in my life. What I wish, and I want you who are parents now to know this—even though I was a stay at home mom in between pre-kids when I was a practicing lawyer and post kids out of the house when I practiced law, I wish I had spent more one on one fun time with my kids. We had lots of fun, beach time, ski trips, egg hunts, birthdays, big Christmases, but it goes so fast.....
regrets are pointless and a waste of time and energy: you can not change the past; however, sometimes you can help to compensate for some of the harms you may have done ...
and i should have added that you can learn from your mistakes and not repeat them ...
at 66 all I really miss is the kids as kids, out and on their own now. Would give anything for one weekend afternoon when they were 8 and 10, glorious times.
I used to have many regrets, but I realized that if I did anything different, I may not be here today because the timeline would have changed.
“I used to have many regrets, but I realized that if I did anything different, I may not be here today because the timeline would have changed.”
Profound truth there, my FRiend. Just a short trip down the memory lane of our lives will reveal turning points & choices that had significant influence on later paths. Interesting to contemplate and perhaps gain some perspective on how best to make future decisions.
My 97 y/o elderly Mom says the same. She wishes she could go back in time when all her kids were young. Jokingly I tell her she’s a glutton for punishment but she really means it.
Remember our time under the sun is a blink of an eye. The hereafter is what one should center their life around.
I regret many things. Who doesn’t? But I thank God every day for everything He gave me. When it went well? PRAISE GOD! When it went poorly? PRAISE GOD! What was I to learn from this? Not everything is or can be learned in school. Usually the lessons learned in life are more valuable.
Life is a journey. I took the road less travelled and am better for it. PRAISE GOD!
I could make a long list of business decisions that could have been better, but will just say:
I wish it hadn’t taken me the first 4 months of dating my gorgeous wife to finally get around to taking photos of her.
Took her long enough to take stock of her past behavior and regrets.
Funny, as I approach my 6th decade, I regret things less and less. I am more detached and just accept life as God’s will more than ever. I do whatever good deeds and charity I can muster to receive what grace He will grant me for the World to Come.
I really liked your comment. I'll be 70 in seven weeks, and I hope I grow up by then. I may even get my first tattoo with "No Regerts"...j/k. I'm more detached, too, as I realize I will never be able to fully retire, and I take full responsibility for that realization.
I have a granddaughter who was born 14 weeks premature, with continuous health setbacks since birth. She's a fighter to the nth degree, she's now 2 1/2 and weighs 30 pounds. Two weeks ago, she underwent surgery for 8 hours, to remove a tumor on her liver.
My problems seem miniscule when I consider her issues.
I could go on for a few thousand more words, lol. I'm the oldest person where I work, I love it. Won Best Halloween Costume at work, I nailed Colonel Sanders.
So true. I think this all the time.
I feel the same way. I long for my children to be children again. If I had only known how fast it was going to go by and what wonderful days those were.
Here's my contribution.
On going back to a time with kids. Without a doubt, it was a wonderful time. Luckily I'm still very close to my kids -- and my grandkids. It is a rewarding and wonderful thing to know that God let me and my wife (mostly her) create all of this and to see them flourish.
Regrets. Oh, yes! I've got them. My wife of over 50 years suddenly left me to be with our Lord in heaven about two years ago. I regret that I often took her for granted, although we loved one another, and, more importantly, I regret not having the chance to make sure she fully understood she was my rock and she was everything to me. And, further, that we could continue to grow old together and thoroughly enjoy each other as it was before we began having kids.
The moral of that story is that with someone so essential to your being, don't wait to do those things. There may not be another day, and you just might not have a second chance until you're together again in God's heaven!
Sounds like a guilt-ridden pinko to me. I’ve got regrets but I’m not dwelling on them. To have regrets is human. You pray and you ask God to help you do better and you move on.
I suppose we all have our opinions . . . but, in *my* opinion the writer of this piece has a gift for words.
I found her way of expressing herself to be outstanding.
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