And Then, "boom" You're there!

Pat is my friend from around the corner. Actually, you go to the Stop sign and turn left and  at the next Stop sign, her house sits on the right side of the street. Two blocks away, and one of my stops I make on my bike rides. I've spoken about Pat before here. How spry she is. Pat has beautiful snow white hair and large chocolate brown eyes, round, bright and alert surrounded by dark eyelashes. She loves to laugh. She never sits still for long. She hauls dirt in her truck and shovels it into her flower beds, does her house repairs and loves to bake. Pat has the walk of someone 20 yrs younger then her actual age. Spry really doesn't describe Pat well.

 Pat's birthday is two days after mine, a date that is fast approaching. As  a matter of fact, tomorrow is my birthday and at my age, it's not a date that I look forward to. It's a slide to the finish line or at least that's the way I look at birthdays now. It's not a celebration of my birth but a milestone in the roadway to the finish line.

Pat made a comment the other day relating to our birthdays. Her comment was a wish to be celebrating my approaching age instead of hers which made me realize, it's all about the moment. Enjoying this moment as there will be a time in the future when I will be wishing I were at this date in my life.

When did I start viewing my birthdays in this light? I've thought about it and reeled back through the previous years trying to pinpoint the age at which I started seeing mileage forward as short. It was when I quit working.

Staying home hasn't been depressing. The past three years have contained two surgeries and recoveries that have been months long.  It's not about the surgeries. Maybe it's the thought that a period of my life is now in the past.  Another milestone. It's still strange to me to have a job be something in my past when it used to be such a big part of my life.  Busy with a job, and the other daily demands leaves little time to note the mileage down the freeway or the speed at which it was traveled.

Is this the part of retirement that people can't handle? Not missing the schedules, the deadlines and the stress, is it the road signs that are now  in the past tense?  I've had a job most of my life. Maybe I need to go back to work part time? I have toyed with the idea though I might be spoiled after all this time away from the restrictions of a job.

Today I will be grateful for my good health. It might be something I'll look back to this date someday and wish I were here and enjoyed it to the fullest.

And then, "boom" you're there". One of Carrie's favorite things to say ....."and then 'boom', it's done......."and then 'boom' etc., etc., etc"
And then, boom!, it's your birthday once again.