“Time is fleeting,” they say. Who is “they?”

I always wonder when I hear an old saying, who the original thinker or author is. I stopped here mid-writing and looked up this phrase. Here it is in its entirety:

Life is short.
Time is fleeting.
Uncover the True Nature.
Purify the mind and heart to attain happiness.
Be kind; be compassionate.
Be generous; do good.
Concentrate.
Understand.
Awaken.
Overcome
   . . . greed with generosity,
   . . . anger with lovingkindness,
   . . . ignorance with understanding.

By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I never would have guessed Mr. Longfellow was the author, but I’m glad he is. Another tangent off the main road of blogging that I shall meander upon in due time.

Back to the article, having just experienced another birthday, the sixty-ninth to be exact, I wanted to share some discoveries as one reflects on age or aging. My twin sister and my older brother visited me this week to enjoy each other’s company for the first time in over 10 years. Where did the time go? We’ve all been busy becoming grandparents, great-grandparents, great-uncles, great-aunts, all those “greats,” for one thing. Another thing, we’ve been busy patching up the torn fragments of our “tent,” trying to stave off the residual effects of living. Win some…lose some.

Hmmm. I believe the score is grossly overrated on the side of losses. Let’s do some recon work here… we’ll start at the top…good place, huh? The head: hair appears first. It seems thinner, lighter, lots of grey, but at least I have some of it yet! Next is the brain: the processor still functions, when it really needs to; the light is still on but blinking; it returns after power failures; when given sufficient time, it can recall most of the data stored within. The eyes: same color blue, no cataracts, glasses only necessary for reading, pretty good condition overall. The ears: losing hearing somewhat, protective about loud noises, no hair as yet. The nose: this is where the hairs are growing! Yikes! The mouth: still can let loose a whoop, yet speak tenderly when necessary. The teeth: the pearly whites are no longer pearly. They have been assisted by dental procedures of many types and arrangements. Let’s put it this way, they are not scary and remain functional. The face: hmmm, it still resembles me somewhat. Eyelids drooping, cheeks sagging, lips diminishing, chin receding and presenting whiskers, and skin is drying, brown spotting, and slightly wrinkly. Overall consensus: not bad for 69 years!

To return to staving off the effects of living…I’ve learned many things over the years. Perhaps sharing them would be proper.

1. Get plenty of sleep

2. Eat sensibly

3. Exercise daily

4. Love God

5. Love others, as you want to be loved

6. Forgive others, as you want to be forgiven

7. Trust in God

8.  Pray always 

Have a good weekend and stay safe. Remember…

“Life is short… time is fleeting…”

~shalom