When I hear the word change the first thing that comes to mind is climate change, an existential threat that has become so present to all of us this summer with floods, fires, massive storms, and more. Here at our house we’re amazed we’ve not yet had a frost, just cool fall days, so the garden is still going even though the last tomatoes look sad, hanging onto the vines, dead leaves bedraggled all around, and yet they do slowly redden. For those of us learning to live with the changes of aging–and hey–I’m not talking about little things like deeper crows feet or stiffer toes, I’m talking the big stuff–the message is clear. We have to accept and adjust. That doesn’t mean giving in or giving up.
Neither climate change nor aging is going to magically disappear, but we try to mitigate, right? In many ways, dealing with aging seems simple compared to finding our way around climate change. Of course, I believe tai chi offers a lot of body-brain stimulation for us oldsters, but pushing a bit into new kinds of learning helps too. For you maybe it’s a language or travel, a new volunteer undertaking or experimenting with different perennials in the garden, cooking with different herbs and spices, or taking up some kind of needlework or game you’ve never attempted, being part of a protest march for the first time. Whatever it is, I congratulate you on that undertaking!
For me, Anne, one of my new efforts is learning to play the mandolin–such a change from my beloved piano (can’t read sheet music any longer). This little instrument that I pluck–I would never have guessed it could be so challenging to produce a pleasing sound out of it. I’m learning, improving, naturally want instantaneous success. Nature insures this doesn’t happen.
Love, Sue