Today was such a beautiful day and I was able to spend a portion of it with a group of good friends. It is moments like this which make time truly a thing of value.
I was taking some photos yesterday and I saw an elderly woman moving along the sidewalk with her walker. As I watched her I was suddenly taken with the thought that we need to enjoy each and every moment which we are given. It won’t be long before we’ll look back on these days and remember them with fondness—or possibly regret...I certainly hope that we won’t reflect on our lives thinking of the things we should have done, but didn’t.
As I sit here at my keyboard I find the lyrics to “Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen)” running through my mind. I would like to share a few of the lines of that song which reach to me…
· Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
· Do one thing every day that scares you.
· Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.
· Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
· Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.
· Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.
· Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
· Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on…because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Tomorrow is yet another day, and you know what? I think I’ll charge it to my Golden Life Card. After all—for the time being—It has no limits.
6 comments:
So much truth in the words to that song! And so many apply to me personally. After excessive years of sun worshiping in my youth, the "wear sunscreen" advice is particularly valued.
I watched the movie "The Rookie" yesterday, and it is funny you brought this subject up. I have been thinking a lot about age. As I am on the brink of 50. I have enjoyed my youth, and wish I could be there again. But knowing that I cannot, I hope to do more as I go along to look back when I am 60 and say wow I did that!
Amen on the sunscreen. I'm so paying for my foolishness now.
LOL!! Love that advice song. It's all true. I'm still learning some of that the hard way.
My personal favorite: Don't read beauty magazines.. they will only make you feel ugly (or something along those lines).
I recenlty saw some pictures of myself wearing a very short skirt (for a play I was in) and I think "man! I looked good!" I can truthfully tell you I thought I looked fat at the time. (I know.. typical girl).
I am learning a LOT about what really matters "in my old age". I still have a long way to go though.
I've always liked the things that song says! Its SOO TRUE
Gerb - Everybody’s Free (to wear sunscreen) is the I Ching. Everybody’s Free is the sum of all wisdom. Everybody’s Free is the advice to all life’s questions.
Kris - We should never sell ourselves short.
Kari - I give an additional amen.
FS - We often can't see our own potential, can we? That is, until later.
Dani - I love it too.
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