Happy To Be Here
February 21, 2014
When I think about getting older, the first thought that comes to mind is that I am happy to be here. I am happy to be alive, happy to be earning every gray hair and wrinkle on my face and happy to have the chance to wake up and go to bed everyday. I welcome birthdays and think of them as opportunities to reflect upon my past and motivational moments for that which has yet to happen. I appreciate having had experiences ranging from the most joyous of times to those I hope to never encounter again.
If I didn’t think this way, what would be the alternative? Not wanting to be alive? Not being around to experience life’s ups and downs? Not being able to share my life with friends and family? No thank you.
As a parent of two young kids who can bicker with the best of them, I thought it was only appropriate to purchase a sign with a quote from the Beatle’s song, “We Can Work It Out.” It reads, “Life is very short, and there’s no time for fussing and fighting my friend.” Soon after it was hung, my son became fearful of people dying at a young age. It was only when I saw him repeatedly glancing at the sign and quickly looking away that I began to understand the connection between his sudden upset and this quote. With some discussion, I learned that he was focusing on the word “short” and not the message about making the best of life during the time that we are alive. Once he understood this alternative meaning, the glancing and fear diminished (unfortunately I cannot say the same about the bickering).
Knowing that life is short with an unknown yet finite timeframe, my curiosity is piqued when people express their woes about getting older. What contributes to this negative thought process? What prevents someone from taking a more positive approach to the inevitable? Is this about the reality that the longer you are alive, the closer you are to death? Is there a frustration about unachieved goals or a general fear of the unknown?
Because I do not know how long I will be around, my appreciation for getting older and having the ability to make choices, take action and work towards achieving that which I desire is very much alive. I am not referring to bucket lists items though I hope to check those off. What I am referring to, however, is finding ways to live every today in such a way that every yesterday and every tomorrow adds up to every year being more fulfilling than the year before. To me, that would be ideal aging and a meaningful way to continually remind myself that I really am “happy to be here.”