“I’m too old...” This is the limited self, talking. But how to overcome this limited thought: resist, repent, repair the damage, relent, or release? What does the unlimited self say? Growing old…it’s an art.
My spiritual teacher reminds me that the fire latent within everyone is essentially identical. This is true regardless of age, obesity, health conditioning, etc.… She said: It’s up to you. The process is simple. Identify what you want, write it down, let it come to you, and remember to let go of how it’s meant to arrive. We don’t always like what comes to us because it doesn’t arrive in a packet familiar enough to stroke the ego. At the same time, it feeds the Soul.
My beloved mother-in-law, Arlie, was in her late 80s. Everyone in the family tried to warn me, “She forgets, and she doesn’t tell it right…names and dates and things.”
Arlie stopped me in the family dining room one afternoon and said through the teeth God intended for her to chew with, “The family would like you to believe I’m senile, but it’s not true.” She let out a laugh.
We lived on a family estate. It was and still is a ranch and has served multiple functions over the years, including dairy, chicken, and worm farming. At the time, Arlie and I lived across a pasture filled with worm rows from one another. Upon some occasions, I’d trek over the windy dirt and gravel road to her private quarters for a cup of tea:
A smile emerged upon Arlie’s face as she contemplated. After a moment of silence, she pointed to a painting of an old woman sitting in a canoe. Arlie spoke, “Do you notice the lack of concern on the old woman’s expression? She is neither going here nor there, just like that. In fact, she appears content right where she is. That's what I like about this painting.”
Comments