“Life gets mighty precious when there’s less of it to waste.” Bonnie Raitt
It seems the universe of late, in a variety of ways, has been gently reminding me of how very precious time is.
Precious time with family and with friends. Precious time to discover new things and precious time to explore destinations I have dreamed of visiting.
So how does math figure into all of this, you might ask?
I am no mathlete but I have figured this much out!
When we are younger, there appears to be an infinite amount of time in front of us.
At the age of 61, when I give thought to doing the math of the time that may or may not lay ahead, I understand from experience, just how quickly that time will elapse.
That time estimation doesn’t include factoring in any circumstances that could instantly redefine what that timeline might look like.
Have I lost you yet?🤔
(I am having flashbacks of those dreaded math problems involving trains and how many stops they made and how fast they were going and how many people may have been on them, all culminating in what time they would arrive in a certain city. )
But my message is simply this.
The math is merely a reminder of how very precious the moments, the days and the years are. In doing the math, I am reminded there is indeed, less time to waste.
As the moments and days of my life continue on, I am innately aware of those who are no longer present with me here on earth.
I feel gratitude in being given the opportunity to experience the process of aging, for I know all too well there are those who will never encounter what that feels like.
I’ve done that math.
Regardless of your age, I encourage you to use your precious time wisely.
Hugs,
L❤️
Life After 50 
“…Class of ’99
Yeah we lived, laughed, loved and cried
Took for granted that those days would never end
Living like that yearbook picture wouldn’t fade
And some standing right beside me, I might never see again
… The trouble is
You think you have time
You think tomorrows always coming down the line
And then one day
You wake up and you find
The trouble is you thought you had time” Dean Brody
On my mind every day too. Live large while you can my friend! xo
Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful words Deb. So many of us bank on the time we are counting on in front of us rather than basking in the precious time that is now. Live large today and every precious day my friend. Hugs 🤗
Excellent post!!! Every day is a precious gift from God. There are blessings to be found everywhere we look. Living in the moment is so very important!
Thank you Linda. It is so important (in my opinion) to embrace each and every day as gifted time. When I hear someone lamenting about growing old, my go to response is, the alternative is to not.💕
Reblogged this on Musings and Wonderings and commented:
Wise words indeed!
Thank you so much Wayne, both for the kind words and the reblog💕
Doing my best, hon 💕 but I will try harder.
Doing our best is all any of us can do my friend. Some days are just hard❤️
I shock myself when I think about how much (or, maybe I should say, little) time I can reasonably expect to have left on this earth. I hope I use my time wisely, but sometimes I wonder (like when I spend so much time on my computer 🙂 ).
I feel the same Janis. It can be very shocking when we give thought to the number of years we may potentially may have at this phase of life, given that we have the good fortune of aging out. I am going to back to that balance discussion we had earlier on your blog. Finding balance in all things is key I think💕.
While I’m generally a person who eschews math, I take your point. And agree. Lovely message here.
You make me chuckle Ally. I share your avoidance of all things math but I am glad you got my drift! Thanks for the smile💕
61? You are a mere youngster Lynn! I try not to think too much about my age, but simply to enjoy every day including the boring things in life like housework. Time goes so fast. And unlike you I am very fond of maths and love a spreadsheet 🤣
Turning 62 in May but still feeling somewhat like a youngster! I don’t give a whole lot of thought to age either, I am just grateful to have the opportunity to do so. We need people who love math and spreadsheets to keep us in order!
Amen! Hope all is well Lynn & Brian.
Look forward to seeing you soon.
Hugs, C xo 🥰
Cheryl M.
Thanks for visiting Cheryl! Look forward to seeing you as well💕
I agree with Heyjude. 61 is too young to be pondering mortality for too long. We are each finding our own way to deal with our losses, but existential angst isn’t worthy of your time. Keep curious.
Lazy math: Stairway to Heaven was published in 1971, but popular with us in 74-ish. That’s almost 50 years ago.
So. I googled “Stairway to Heaven” (STH) and accidentally learned how to quickly stream video from my phone to tv 🙂 I listened to some 70s tunes and then flipped over to the Google maps tab.
So many STH places in the US. I think I found the perfect place in Idaho that allows dogs. Just me and dogs would be better. I don’t currently have a dog. Being silly = Time well spent!
Be good to yourself and make room for curiosity and silliness.
Wow, that lazy math turned into quite the quest! Idaho you say? So, I am curious, were you able to figure out what the rate of speed was dancing the full length of the song Stairway to Heaven, which I believe is 7:55min? Now who’s being silly🤪😂
No worries re: angst, my friend. Just some reflection felt after losing a dear friend gone too soon.💕
Aw, I’m sorry for the loss of your friend. If that’s how you grieve then cudos to you. I hope you write some more.
How many steps do you figure for STH? My lazy math (sans excel) would be 480ish steps but up to 30ish steps more if you tried to do something different with your awkward teenage body in platform shoes during that part where the tempo sorta picks up. Hehe
Hi Lynn, I found you on Ally Bean’s blog . . . in other words, Ally sent me. 😉
Life is so precious and so fragile. A reminder of how there is less time to waste hit me pretty hard last week, unfortunately. The Bonnie Raitt quote is very relatable.
I made the mistake of reading the updates on alums from my college in the back of the college magazine this morning. Now I’m feeling like there is less time to waste AND why didn’t I do more (professionally speaking) with the time I had? I know the answer, of course. But I’m in a bit of a slump wondering what I’ve done and what I should do next. Nothing a productive weekend won’t fix. Hopefully.
Hi Ernie,
Thanks so much for popping over from Ally’s blog and taking the time to comment on my most recent post.
This piece was written in reflection, after losing a dear friend a few weeks ago. She was not much older than me, with so many plans for her future that are not to be.
I am not one to get lost in the angst of aging that so many feel, in fact, I tend to feel quite the opposite. I feel grateful to continue to have relative good health and move into the next phase of my life. My friend’s death was a reminder of how very precious time is and to spend it doing what makes us happy.
I try not to put parameters around what that looks like. For me personally, it is about family, friends and travel. It may look different for someone else & I respect that. We are all different in what matters to us and what we feel we would like to accomplish in our time here, for however long that might be.
I hope that you find the answers you are looking for and I encourage you to grow in ways that make you happy. Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to comment. It is truly appreciated!💕
Hi Lynn. Just popped over here from Ally Bean’s blog. I recently turned 60, and though I know I should feel blessed that I made it here and others haven’t, I’m having an inner struggle with this age. I know this struggle will pass, and you’re right, time is precious. 🌹🤗
Hi Lori,
So lovely to have you visit. Thanks for popping over from Ally’s blog.
My philosophy has always been to embrace my age, to celebrate whatever number it is I am turning. That is not to say there aren’t challenges and the occasional, “holy shit, how did I get to this age” moments. But at the end of the day, for me at least, the alternative is to not age or not be here, so I shall receive the moments, the days and the years as they come, grateful for all of them!
I hope that find peace in where you are at, seek adventure to keep you going and immerse yourself in whatever it is that makes you happy. Thank you so much for visiting LorI💕
One of the benefits of aging is that we finally figure out that life really is precious! And that our days are numbered, which means we need to make the most of each and every one. Thanks for the reminder, Lynn. Great post!
Ann, thank you! I do think we develop a much deeper understanding of just how very precious each and every day is. Hope you are well my friend💕