To my surprise, my 70s are nicer than my 60s and my 60s than my 50s, and I wouldn’t wish my teens and 20s on my enemies. ~ Lionel Blue
Today is my birthday. I’m 49. My cousin sent me an email saying, “Happy birthday. You are 39 again.” No thanks!
As I peek over the wall like Kilroy* into my second half century, the following quotes by some of my favorite thinkers make me smile:
Eleanor Roosevelt
1) “Probably the happiest period in life most frequently is in middle age, when the eager passions of youth are cooled, and the infirmities of age not yet begun; as we see that the shadows, which are at morning and evening so large, almost entirely disappear at midday.”
2) “A mature person is one who does not think only in absolutes, who is able to be objective even when deeply stirred emotionally, who has learned that there is both good and bad in all people and in all things, and who walks humbly and deals charitably with the circumstances of life, knowing that in this world no one is all knowing and therefore all of us need both love and charity.”
3) “You can never really live anyone else’s life, not even your child’s. The influence you exert is through your own life, and what you’ve become yourself.”
Albert Einstein
4) “Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.”
5) “He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”
6) “Solitude is painful when one is young, but delightful when one is more mature.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
7) “To be yourself in a world that is consistently trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
8) “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
9) “Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.”
Anne Lamott
10) “I am all the ages I have ever been.”
11) “And she is going to dance, dance hungry, dance full, dance each cold, astonishing moment, now when she is young and again when she is old.”
12) “I’m here to be me, which is taking a great deal longer than I had hoped.”
I’d love to hear your own thoughts or favorite quotes about approaching (or living in the midst of) your second half-century.
* Does Kilroy still show up in graffiti? Is this a totally outdated reference?
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jindra cekan in SF says
Happy Birthday my dear friend! Love your quote from Einstein: 8) “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
Love!
Martha says
You are an over-achiever in all of these areas, Jindra. xxoo
jindra in SF2 says
One of my faves for aging;
Messenger
(by Mary Oliver, from Thirst:Poems)
My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird —
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all ingredients are here,
which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever.
Martha says
Absolutely lovely, Jindra. Thanks so much for sharing it. Gratitude, garden imagery, and poetry. I can’t think of a more perfect birthday gift. xxoo Martha
Elke says
Dear Martha,
happy birthday and all the best, above all health and many happy moments!
I must say, it is always a surprise when I think of my age…..since last August I am 60 and I can’t believe it and still don’t feel like my real age. But my father-in-law told my the same when he turned 80……
Have a lovely day,
Elke
Martha says
Thanks so much, Elke! Your youthful spirit shines through at any age. And anyway, I’m pretty sure that 60 is the new 40. Your father-in-law sounds like a great role model! Always love connecting with you here. xxoo Martha