Monday, April 13, 2015

Open up to life

Today I'm returning home after spending a week with my youngest son, daughter-in-law and youngest grandchildren, ages 3 and 8. I'm a tired grandma—but my heart is filled up with joy, openness and wonder. I've banked a lot of hugs that should hold me for several weeks. And I hope I've left behind enough grandma-love to last them, too.

Here's what I also bring home with me: a reminder to stay as open, curious and joy-filled as those young ones. How do we lose so much of that as we age anyway? Our worlds seem to become constricted and restricted. We play it safe more than we explore and seek adventure. We stay with what we know rather than experiment, whether it's with new foods or new friends. We think the same old thoughts without examining them to see whether they even contain truth anymore—or whether they even work for us any longer.

I don't know about you. But I'd love to spend the months or years I have left celebrating life—dancing with it and savoring all that is. Does that mean I ignore grief when it comes knocking at my door? Of course not. We are healthier when we deal with what is rather than hide our heads in the sand. But grief and pain don't need to hold our attention forever.

Where are you today? Are you celebrating? Or grieving? Both are part of the cycle of life. Neither lasts forever. But sometimes we get to make a choice: the cup half full or the cup half empty. What'll it be today?




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