Wisdom of the ageless
I saw an old woman gardening today. As I watched her pottering in the beautiful sunshine I wondered what old age could have to teach us. I imagined her stopping to take a sip of her warm tea and enjoying some biscuits, unhurried and seeming to enjoy every moment.
Is it the enjoyment of the simple things, the quiet, unhurried life, being more present and cherishing every moment of time that is the key of what we are to learn from this phase of life?
Older people seem not to be so rigidly governed by time, competition of all kinds and outwardly appearances. It is not that they necessarily don't take pride in their appearance or that they no longer have purpose in their life, it just seems that they are more concerned with their own experience of the world rather than how the world experiences them.
Young people are notoriously focused on how they look to others, what others think of them, how they stack up against other people in work, finances and life in general. Perhaps as we get older and these milestones have been reached, no longer looming over our existence, we are freed from that hamster wheel and begin to live more authentically.
It is clear in my eyes that old age is nothing to fear. It is a beautiful time in life as any other, with lessons of it's own to teach. While for some it may be a time of increased infirmity (which in itself may be a lesson for them or to those connected to them) this is by no means a promise.
As I continued to go about my day I came across a man who looked to be homeless sitting in front of a store eating a hot chicken. He looked so satisfied. It made me think of how some of the best meals in my life have been the most simple. A hot chicken with a fresh crusty roll and some butter, or sweet sun ripened tomatoes and a slice of cheese on fresh bread on my travels through Europe, a hot cup of tea after walking in the cold and rain. Nothing ever seemed more satisfying to me than those moments. How beautiful life can be.
Perhaps old age, homelessness, infirmity, all things that to our minds, seem only to have negative connotations, have an intrinsic beauty to them. Like all lessons in life they are there to teach us that we do not have to wait until we are old or for some other condition to be met to have these freedoms. They, like all else are simply freedoms from the trappings of our minds. The limitations that we place on ourselves. Whether it be thinking that we have to make ourselves more beautiful to look better than others, as opposed to just doing it for ourselves and the benefit it brings us personally, or whether it is the constant pursuit of society's milestones. We can choose to embody the peace and acceptance that comes with old age at any time in our lives.
It is through learning the lessons that all phases and conditions are there to teach us that we can walk through all of life with grace.
Perhaps like all karmic lessons this too might be a cycle we may be able to break free from. When we cease to view old age as a curse and instead we look to it for what it can teach us, it may no longer be necessary to experience it in future incarnations.
Happy pondering...
With love
Basia xx
