Aging, The Ordinary, and Gratefulness

As I approach my 50th birthday, I have been contemplating the negative and positive effects of aging more and more while I experience them. As we age, our preferences in reading material, music, food, movies, leisure activities in general, and so many other things begin to narrow. I used to eat just about anything and enjoy all types of music, but my tolerance for bad food and raucous music has diminished to a pinpoint.

Yet I have found that in some ways, just the opposite may occur, in that I am pleased even more by the simple and ordinary things of life that I used to take for granted.

Here I am at my family's summer place on a quiet lake in central New Hampshire. The sun has been absent the past few days, replaced by thick clouds and occasional showers. It's humid and dank. The towel I used to dry myself after yesterday's shower is still damp.

In my childhood, days like this, especially two or more in a row stuck in a smallish cabin with my family – no swimming, limited boating and uncomfortable hiking - would be cause for much stress and unhappiness. After all, those were the activities we traveled here for.

In contrast, I have savored these past few days. I have sat on the porch reading and writing, frequently looking up to view the changing scene before me. The morphing cloud formations, the march of rain across the lake, the clouds lifting to reveal the Belknap Mountains miles away. Taking a stretch break, I stand on the deck and breathe deeply, taking in the scent of the moist pine tress around me and the carpet of pine needles on the ground. Crouching on the dock, I watch minnows swim by in the clear water, and a mussel or two moving along the sandy bottom at a glacial pace. On the rocky beach, I observe for the umpteenth time in my life how much more beautiful the rocks are in the water than on dry land, the variety of colors more intense when wet.

I sit. I may think or pray, although just being is more than good enough. I am grateful. These ordinary God-given things that surround me fill me with deep joy and thanksgiving.