The transient breathtaking beauty of spring prods me to acknowledge that my life is in its

[Atticus]

autumn. Just as the fresh clean perfect blooms that now sparkle from meadow to forest floor are so full of promise and possibility, so once was I.

I am not as strong or fast or easy to look at but, hopefully, I have grown in wisdom and tolerance and compassion. Some of my dreams have been realized; some have been abandoned; but, some are still "in process".

I now understand and accept that wisdom requires that we admit how little we know.

Because I no longer take next spring for granted, I will savor this one in a way that the still strong and beautiful cannot.

[bahboo]

1. well said...and I'm there with ya....

this past year has also accentuated the feeling...

[lookyhereyou]

7. right there too

feeling more hope now and appreciative of the beauty

more as well . very glad to be vaxed , really thought it would be

extremely sad to die of the tRump virus as I feared I might .

[PatrickforB]

2. From all who have lived many more years than they have left,

myself included,

Here, here!

[malthaussen]

3. Boy, will you feel silly when they discover the immortality serum tomorrow.

The strange thing is, one is no more assured of another Spring at 20 than 80, but the 20 year olds have an easier time ignoring that.

-- Mal

[soldierant]

21. LOL!

[rickyhall]

4. I've just learned to quit worrying about "it" because it doesn't do me any good, never did."

[Karadeniz]

5. Truth beautifully expressed... Thanks for sharing!

[vlyons]

6. As a Buddhist, I'm open to the possibility that my mind will reincarnate into another human life

don't know if reincarnation is true or not, but I'm open to the possibility of it being so. Which means that the only thing we take with us when we die is our mind. So I've been working on cleaning up my mind. Training it to stay calm no matter what comes my way. Training it to not respond with anger. Accepting that all things are impermanent, including this body that I inhabit. I'm 74, so I have fewer years ahead than behind.

When all appearances of this life dissolve, may I with great ease and happiness
let go of all attachments to this life, like a child returning home.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

25. +1. My vegan friend feeds her cat fish because she thinks

the cat is her mom, reincarnated. I am so open to the idea. And so open to the peaceful approach to life. Thank you for posting!

[vlyons]

31. In Tibetan Buddhism as a way of developing compassion for others,

we consider all sentient beings to have been our mother in a previous life.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

32. I didn't know that. What an interestingly kind and loving thought. nt..

[Piasladic]

8. The bitter thing is

time just moves faster and faster. While we are able to appreciate each moment more, they keep flying away.

[KT2000]

10. that is so true nt

[SergeStorms]

11. They always have.

We were in our youth back then, and never took the time to notice. Everything was ahead of us, so we were always in a hurry to get there. It's been that way forever. It will continue that way forever.
Yesterday I was talking to my grandson and I used the word "satisfied" to describe something or other. He asked me what "satisfied" meant. I had to think for a second. How do I describe "satisfied" so that a six year old can understand it. "To be happy with what you have", I said, "instead of always wanting more". He thought for a few seconds, then said, "I don't think I'll ever be satisfied". And there you go. In our old age we learn what satisfaction means, and that "more" for us is just one more day to enjoy the beauty of the world, and those people who are close to us. That's my take on it anyway.

[Atticus]

13. And a good "take" it is. nt

[SergeStorms]

23. Thank you, Atticus.

Your post was so thought provoking, and I've been having much the same experience as you with coming to grips with it.

Neil Young's "Old Man" keeps running through my mind a lot now, much as it did right after it was released and I was in my mid-20s. I've been on both ends of that song now. Strange, that.

[KT2000]

9. I love this!

I now understand and accept that wisdom requires that we admit how little we know.

And isn't that a load lifted. We can see better with humility.

[c-rational]

12. Wise words Atticus. Savoring this moment...smelling the roses...living in the present, the

only time a human can be happy. And if it were not for your experience your knowledge would not bring wisdom.

[world wide wally]

14. And then there is this:

[rambler_american]

15. Paraphrasing Woody Allen

I'm not afraid of dying. I just don't want to be there when it happens.

[Bo Zarts]

36. Paraphrasing Captain Yossarian (Catch-22)

I want to live forever, or die trying.

[pwb]

16. With all there is to know an individual knows nothing.

The only way we move forward is by uniting our knowledge and being together. Autumn for me too. We are all just a blink in the eye of time.

[sarge43]

17. We only have today.

Yesterday is gone and done.
Tomorrow may never come.
Today is unique; there will never be another exactly like it.

The daffodils in our back yard are starting to bloom.

[Stuart G]

19. Thank You for your words...Very Powerful...

[sarge43]

22. Thank you

I had to learn that the hard way.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

26. Why?

[sarge43]

34. Why it was a hard lession?

Way back machine to February 19th: Typical day, much like yesterday and probably tomorrow, my husband was doing his thing, me, mine. I didn't see him leave for his rehab PT, no problem he'd be back in a couple of hours. A couple of hours later cops show up to inform me I was a widow. Very untypical day, might even say unique at least for me. So, my tomorrow would be very different (if I would have any) and my late husband wouldn't have any more.

[extvbroadcaster]

18. So true

I've been telling people the lesson of the pandemic is "don't wait to be happy." If you want to do something, do it now. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. This was a once in a 100 year pandemic. There might be more. Things might not ever get back to "normal." I will savor this spring, as I don't know how many I have left at 62 years of age.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

27. How are we supposed to be happy? Half million dead.

A president who hid the magnitude? 1/2 the population refuse to wear a mask. We are afraid to venture out. How can you , "not wait to be happy"?

[RVN VET71]

35. An old buddhist parable:

A man walking in a forest is suddenly pursued by a growling tiger. He climbs a tree and crawls out on a limb. He looks down and, to his dismay, sees the tiger climbing the tree. He thinks to jump to safety but, even more dismaying, he sees another tiger on the ground below, looking up at him. Stunned, he looks at the limb he’s sitting on and sees apples, full, ripe, and delicious-looking. He picks one and eats it.

The End

I love that story. It speaks to me more each day.

[femmedem]

20. Reminds me of a poem I hadn't thought of in decades:

A snip from "In Terror of Hospital Bills" by James Wright

Oh moon, sow leaves on my hands,
On my seared face, oh I love you.
My throat is open, insane,
Tempting pneumonia.
But my life was never so precious
To me as now.

Full poem here: https://nbr.tumblr.com/post/204769309/in-terror-of-hospital-bills-by-james-wright

[58Sunliner]

24. It is a beautiful spring, especially with Biden and Harris.

[BobTheSubgenius]

28. Not only has the past year brought that home to me, a couple of nights ago, it was hammered into me.

I was lying in bed, watching TV, and decided to go to sleep. As I rearranged myself to do that, I started feeling sick. I waited a moment, and was sure I was going to vomit. I am a big believer in giving in to that instead of fighting it, because I always feel better after.

I got out of bed....and almost fell on my face. I had near-zero balance and lurched to the closet door handle...then to the lowboy dresser, then to the door. I bounced off the walls down the hall to the bathroom, and got my wife to bring me a mug of cold water. I never did vomit, but it took a good 15 minutes before I felt I had my legs under me again. I was very worried that I was having a stroke, because strokes don't run, but gallop in the paternal side of my family. But I had no other symptoms, and it's not happened again.

I remember thinking "I'm not ready for this to be over yet."

Life has been, on balance, fantastic. Not all of it has gone to my liking , of course, and there were some quite trying times, and some short periods that I just hated...but overall, I have been one lucky son of a bitch. I was also lucky enough to be born with the sense to let my good fortune carry me along through life, instead of giving in to whims and acquisitiveness.

My life has always been about time and..well..life, not things. I don't care about "things" that much, because they don't make up life. Hours and days and years do, and I've had so many of them to use as I see fit.

It's been as good a life as I could have asked for, and, in the end, I guess I am acquisitive, because I want more of it.

I regret that this was not as eloquent as the OP, but it's my story. Thanks for the inspiration, Atticus.

[Grasswire2]

30. Hey!

There you are.

[secondwind]

37. What a beautiful post, Atticus... you spoke for me in every sense..

[seta1950]

38. I agree

Same here

[DownriverDem]

39. It makes me

realize that as with everyone, my days are numbered too.

[Hotler]

40. I ain't as good as I once was..

Happy Spring.

[oldbones]

41. Thank you Atticus

I lost my husband and lived in a big old barny house alone. My children gone, living their own lives. So after a year of mourning I sold my house, moved to another state to be close to my only sibling, went to no kill shelter bought me some love in the form of little black and white kitty. 2 years later Im still creating my own happiness . Just me and a loving cat. I love DU and some people can put into words the most beautiful things . DU adds hope to my life.