A Healthy Attitude for Musing on Middle Age

Here I am. At a place it never ever occurred to me I would be:
......middle age. I will become older than my father when he died this year. Now there's a new perspective. Between that fact and the lady that stares at me from the foggy bathroom mirror in the morning.

With that all on my mind, I recently purchased the Nancy LaMott recording "Listen to My Heart" and heard her rendition of James Taylor's song The Secret O' Life. I was moved to tears. Try to find it if you can.... otherwise, just soak some plain down-home wisdom, via Mr. Taylor:

Secret O' Life
------James Taylor

The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time
Any fool can do it
There ain't nothing to it
Nobody knows how we got to
The top of the hill
But since we're on our way down
We might as well enjoy the ride

The secret of love is in opening up your heart
It's okay to feel afraid
But don't let that stand in your way no
'Cause anyone knows that love is the only road
And since we're only here for a while yeah
Might as well show some style

Give us a smile now
Isn't it a lovely ride
Sliding down
And gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride

Now the thing about time is that time
Isn't really real
It's all on your point of view
How does it feel for you
Einstein said that he could never understand it all
Planets spinning through space
The smile upon your face

Welcome to the human race
Isn't that a lovely ride
Sliding down
Gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride

Isn't that a lovely ride
Oh mama yes
See me sliding down
And gliding down
Try not to try too hard
It's just a lovely ride

Now the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.

_________________________________

For those like me - who have a gan-green thumb - this line of thought may speak to you better than just taking the time to smell the roses.

....... and thank God for the ride of life you've been given(with still more to come)! What an ongoing gift!