Will you still need me; will you still feed me, when I’m sixty-four?
When The Beatles first sang this song in 1967 I was young enough that 35 seemed very old and the thought of ever turning 64 seemed pretty much impossible. I just didn’t give it much thought. Well sixty-four now passed me by.
I’ve been musing a lot lately; thinking, considering, evaluating, contemplating. Probably because I am about to enter my sixty-fifth year and it is a new frontier. Neither of my folks reached this age and I am the oldest of my siblings and most of my cousins. I know, I know. Many of you are saying 65 is not old and I keep hearing things like, ‘sixty is the new forty.’ Well, I remember forty and no it isn’t quite. The spirit is willing, and there are many things I do that make me feel pretty good, pretty healthy, pretty young, but the song I most identify with is Toby Keith’s ‘As Good As I Once Was’.
‘I ain’t as good as I once was
But I’m as good once as I ever was.’
The most interesting thing to have happened this past week in talking to my friends/family about my party on Friday is that I don’t want any gifts because….and this is the most exciting part…I suddenly realized that there is nothing on this earth that I need or want.
This doesn’t mean that I have everything – it means I am happy, content and satisfied.
I went outside for my usual evening outing to look at the sky last night and on spying the first star I began my little ‘Star light, Star bright, grant the wish I wish tonight’ and stopped just as I started with the realization that I do not have anything to wish for. And then the epiphany – I am happier right now than I have ever been in my life. The knowledge came to me quite suddenly and without much ado – it just sort of is.
I still have mountains to climb, dreams to fulfill, stories to create, but I also have happiness, contentment, and gratitude.
I guess as I finish writing this I realize there is a wish I will make on tonight’s star, and that is that every one of you will find this same happiness.
I am fortunate to have people who love me – in spite of myself (I have marveled at that before) and if I have one particular goal this year it will be to let all of them know how much they mean to me.
Who knew? I do know that this is already the best birthday of my life.
