Moving Beauty
Some people, no matter how old they get, Never lose their beauty – They merely move it from their faces Into their hearts.· Author Unknown
Lord, thou knowest better than I know myself, that I am growing older, and will someday be old.
Keep me from getting talkative, and particularly from the fatal habit of thinking I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.
Release me from the craving to try and straighten out everybody’s affairs.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details – give me wings to get to the point.
I ask for grace enough to listen to the tales of others’ pains. Help me to endure them with patience.
But seal my lips on my own aches and pains. They are increasing, and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.
I dare not ask for improved memory, but for a growing humility and a lessening cocksureness when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that I may occasionally be mistaken.
Keep me reasonably sweet. I do not want to be a saint – some of them are so hard to live with – but a sour old woman (or man) is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Make me thoughtful, but not moody; helpful, but not bossy.
With my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it; but thou knowest, Lord, I want a few friends at the end.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places, and talents in unexpected people. And give me, Lord, the grace to tell them so.
- Dale Evans Rogers, from Time Out Ladies!
The way to love someone is to lightly run your finger over that person’s soul until you find a crack, and then gently pour your love into that crack.
· Keith Miller
I am getting old. But I don’t think I am old. It is a relative thing, actually. It is a good thing, too. It shows in my face: lots of laugh lines, some from worry, some which indicate my constant surprise and delight in life as it has been lately, and a few which mark the years of continuing disappointment in myself, in others, in life. Those last few items on the list are slowly fading from my countenance, and that is just as well. I know where I have come from, and some of the memories are painful and difficult to face while shaving. But, make no mistake: I own them all. I have earned every wrinkle.
Those lines on my face sometimes make me think that life is unfair, unjust and inequitable. It is not, really. . . that’s just something I used to tell myself. Truthfully, I know that life is equitable and just, because I have reaped that which I have sown. I have learned that what I want to get from my life must be directly proportional to the effort I put into it. Ignoring the details, not trusting in the process, being fearful and secretive is not the way to sow seeds that must bear useful fruit! Too much energy can be expended on damaging and destructive behaviors for so little value in return. It’s not the fault of the process of life, either. Like the computer people say, “Garbage in, garbage out.” Different choices do change the outcome.
That in which I put my faith, my effort and my trust will work for my education in the school of life, to my physical, mental or emotional benefit or detriment. Either way, if I am sincere in the placement of my belief and my energy, I am bound to learn something, and to be a better person because of it. That’s when the cracks in my life are filled with the loving lessons that the Universe has in store for me to acquire. I must be committed to sowing my energy in a way that is disciplined, and be destined to do what is required of me to make good things happen, to “till my mental soil with determination and fertilize my emotional soil with positive thoughts.” I need only plant the good seeds of what I want to happen in my life, in places and in ways that will guarantee their success. I must do my best, whenever possible.
Regardless of the situation, I know that I have something valuable to contribute to the experience. It is not that I know everything or can do everything, but rather that I have the capability to be competent and effective in a loving and positive way. It is not that I have something to prove, but if someone else has done something, I can do that as well if I so choose. I also know that the best way to do anything is with honesty and integrity, and by knowing where my boundaries are, as well as the boundaries of others, and honoring them. I also know what it is like to have no boundaries. I know I am able to tap into the divine energy that is within me, because I know what it feels like to be empty within.
There is always a best way to perform any task or meet any challenge. Especially when it is done with honorable purpose, and an eye toward that which is beautiful. And as I get older, the hard-earned experiences of my life are not only reflected in my face, but now glow beautifully from my heart.
Michael
email: Michael@N-spire.com
