Softer speech, greater deliberation, more introspection – all seem to accompany the aging process and progress along with it. Why was this not available to me earlier?
Does life have its own caste system – each decade of aging putting us into a different category where we perform best, and preparing us for our natural move to the next category even as time inexorably moves its wheels?
-Mani
Life, in its eternal wisdom, has a funny way of keeping us guessing. We think we have arrived, and then if not pull, life changes the rug under our very feet even as we struggle to find balance. We can teeter, yell, and complain – to no avail.
But dance, smile, and let life teach you to dance in a way you did not think possible, and all of a sudden, life is your oh-so-perfect dance partner, leading you to the next stage in such a perfect and effortless way!
Every travail is but the confusion that exists till understanding dawns. And so, the days move on…..
And I always thought it had something to do with alcohol. But how will the senses be able to drink in summer’s grandeur while muffled by those airy fumes? Nay – this grand bouquet from nature is the real summer wine – who needs another stimulant when the senses are already heady from nature’s plenty?
..and when I dream, I float. When I float, I have no weight – and this extends to the subconscious and mental spaces. With no baggage, there is nothing to hold me down or tie me to a spot – no one to watch me squirm as I work to free myself, only to work myself into deeper quagmires.
So now the quest has started – how can I float while fully conscious?
Summer wine?
Somehow, this morning, my thoughts turned to Lee Hazelwood’s timeless lyrics:
“Strawberries cherries and an angel’s kiss in spring
My summer wine is really made from all these things”
As each year comes and goes, I have to say, I have been blessed my many summers filled with the most delicious of fruit and surrounded by angels – so all I can say is – thank you, life!
-Mani