Thoughts about living - and enjoy life

While I am getting older, I become more aware of the rarity of opportunities, the opportunity to enjoy, admire the uniqueness and exquisiteness of beauty, and to see the beauty among rubble / in the midst of the 'noise of everyday life'. With each advancing decade, nature’s beauty and the magnificence of life increasingly amazes me. 

Maturation allows us to enjoy and appreciate the spring of life and the youth and to inventory the knowledge garnered from rainy and showery, from hot and dry summer times, and also great and joyful times reflecting upon adulthood’s long pull. 

Ageing allows us to free ourselves from the strife and as well attempt, aspiration, and ambition of our younger self - but this is not to say that it is over when you are older.

Thoughtfulness, reflectiveness and also respectful and appreciative self-doubt, self criticism nurtures the cherished milk of wisdom. 

Every day is a good day - a good time to embrace learning at all stages of life. 

Life is neither a glorious highlight reel nor a monstrous tragedy. 

Every day is also a good time to learn and express joy and love for the entire people around us and world. 

It is also a good time to commence exercising the principles of good husbandry by beginning to making preparation for the inevitable freeze of winter.

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“Non, rien de rien… Non, je ne regrette rien.”  ( "No! Nothing at all… No! I regret nothing…")  This well known tune by Edith Piaf’s song of the year 1960 - by the way it was a song my wife loved a lot.

When I look at Edith Paif's strophe and at the lyrics of Frank Sinatra's song 'My Way' :"Regrets, I've had a few. But then again, too few to mention" - both strophes tell me something about the winter of life - I firmly believe that someone can be happy if s/he can look back without remorse and die fulfilled before the approaching death. 

When I remember the talks I had with my wife but as well the talks I had with comrades - there were a few wishes and thoughts I heard again and again and I feel as well ...

• Had have the courage to lived their own life
• Working less and displaying of feeling more often
• Staying in touch with mother, father, family and friends
• Being happy

We live in output-driven, performance-minded, results-based times, at work and in our leisure time. I heard as a paramedic from patients and as medical orderly from brothers-in-arms they made their happiness conditional on duties and on a result instead bringing them in balance of simply enjoying the moment. Or they were trapped in old behaviors and habits and were afraid of change. "To be happy".

What I learned from these conversations with so many people and for sure from my wife and other dying people - I still remember one soldier I had the privilege of listening to his thoughts and his memories and that he felt so sorry to not saying often enough to his mother and his brothers how much he loved them  - unfulfilled wishes have one thing in common: 

You can consciously choose them - remember your wishes and fulfill your dreams - and tell your beloved ones one more often then normal that you love them - better safe than sorry.

How we lead our lives and how we end it - is and should be up to us. 

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I like to share one of my favorite pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge - as it stands for me as a symbol of beauty, a path connecting two pieces and inner change.

Whatever you want to do, do it now. 

There are only so many tomorrows. 

Quote by Michael Landon

And finally a song which means a lot to me by Tracy Chapman ...

If Not Now... Tracy Chapman

If not now, then when?

If not today,

Then, why make your promises?

A love declared for days to come,

Is as good as none.

You can wait 'til morning comes.

You can wait for the new day.

You can wait and lose this heart.

You can wait and soon be sorry.

If not now, then when?

If not today,

Then, why make your promises?

A love declared for days to come,

Is as good as none.

Now love's the only thing that's free.

We must take it where it's found.

Pretty soon it may be costly.

'Cause if not now, then when?

If not today,

Then, why make your promises?

A love declared for days to come,

Is as good as none.

If now now, what then?

We all must live our lives.

Always feeling.

Always thinking.

The moment has arrived.

If not now, then when?