Pattern Of Life

Some of us enjoyed not having to pay someone to clear our driveway, porches and sidewalk this winter. There are others who missed the snow, the blizzard days, the ice, the salt and having a hard time getting to and from work. Snow means different things to different people. Kids love to play in it, throw snowballs and stay home from school on snow days. Seniors find it difficult to leave home if there is ice on pavements and parking lots.

My aunt fell on a sliver of ice about thirty-five years ago in front of her office building off of the Beltway near exit 26. She broke her hip, was hospitalized for a week and home for many weeks. When she came back to her very prestigious job; she found she had been replaced with a younger person and she had been employed there at a huge national company for thirty-five years. She was very distraught, even though they told her she would earn the same salary. She had been demoted in her high executive position, back down to near where she had started there thirty-five years ago. It was a terrible blow to her and if only she had not fallen and been out of work for almost six months, things would have been the same.

Others get called down because the boss complains that they are nerds and cannot drive in a few inches of snow. Many others are involved in what is called fender benders and if they have too many of them, their auto insurance is affected and their premiums are raised to a ridiculous cost.

So snow means different things to different folks. I had to have a colonoscopy in January 2006 and it was the day after a terrible snow and ice storm in this area. My husband had the steps done and salt sprinkled on the surface and at night he laid down a plastic quilted pad we had that had sat on a chaise lounge. We were able to get there to the GBMC hospital and everyone showed up because they had ‘prepared ‘for the event with the proper medicines needed the day before. Funny thing, the gastroenterologist called me the afternoon before to see if I was coming; and he said he would not have expected a senior to go out in that weather. I assured him we would come and was glad it was over with. However, some of the nurses had a hard time getting there and almost everyone scheduled did come.

Snow, ice and determination played a great part and also the desire to have it finished and forgotten about for another five years. Snow can be a hazard and though it is pretty to observe as it is falling, we generally all are eager for it to not arrive as it did this year.

Looking forward to things in life usually can be a pretty occasion in our everyday life. We can look towards birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, engagements, baby births, confirmations, religious holidays, visits from loved ones and good health results if we take a special test. We get highs from these events and a lot of it comes from anticipation before the actual occurrence. When mom was about to turn forty and I was thirteen, I feared Mom would be an old lady and she would not be as loving and kind because of the old age approaching her. I thought it in my thirteen year old mind, it would occur on May 9^th because May 8^th was her birthday. I awoke on the ninth and there was Mom, still the sweet and good mom, still loving me with all her thoughts and deeds. Then, I realized that Mom was still Mom and when she reached fifty, I was twenty-three, an adult, a young woman who met her destined boyfriend, a successful assistant to a CEO of a big company and was making lots of money for my age. I did not think that Mom would be different as I had thought ten years before.

Age is a number and we seniors know that things do slow down and aches occur and lines appear; but we know there is still more to come in living, loving, liking, longing and still more luster too.

So you who have longed for snow, it will come again next year and in the meanwhile, live, love, like, and long for happy days that are now mostly sunny and pretty. When it gets real hot this summer, think of the cool snow that will certainly reappear next winter and then you can long and live for warmer days when it is so cold.

Just be happy we are still here and have the knowledge and brains and pretty fine health to see all the seasons appear and disappear and know that life is mostly wonderful, as we share it with our children, grandchildren, friends and other family members. The seasons change and so do we; but the snow is white and our hair does turn gray and if we want we can color it and it becomes the color we had when we were young. Our feelings about life mature, of course, we mature too; but we can still enjoy doing things like ballroom dance, golf, tennis, theatre going, shopping, and eating at restaurants, holiday family events and everything we desire, if we try real hard to continue our patterns of living.

A pattern is when you sew a piece of clothing, you trace the pattern onto the material or lay it on there etc. (I have not sewn in many years) and so too, can you trace your living pattern on your soul and brain and accomplish everything you still want to do regardless of your now age. Let nothing stop you. Mom flew on her first airplane ride when she was about sixty and she visited Israel, Spain, and Bermuda and even went on a cruise ship for the first time at age sixty-two. She had not done any of these things and the fulfillment of travel at this late age was a blessing to her mind and soul. Even when she was not walking too well, she went on the long trip to Israel and walked places when the group did and if she tired, she sat down and waited for them to come back for her. She had the spirit to try it and we were very proud of her at this age, even though she had some health problems, that she had the firm desire to accomplish it.

You can have your pattern designed for you and you can have your life long desires come true if you want them to be alive and happening. The pattern of life cannot be bought in a sewing store; we make our own pattern and the result can be so much happiness and also a complete and happy life.