I’m reminding myself to sit outside several times a day for a few minutes. I’m careful to protect my skin, but this uplifts my mood immensely.
I knew it was the week of spring break when the streets came to life with screaming children. I’m not sure why children scream nowadays, but they do. When I was a kid we’d be as quiet as possible so Mama wouldn’t know exactly where we were, or what we were into, but somehow, she always knew.
I was sitting on a bench on the back deck when I saw a child walk beside my neighbors house, toward the backyard. He was looking for something to do and here I was doing absolutely nothing, but enjoying the warmth of the sun on my back. He saw me and waved, so I said, ‘Hello’, in response, but he quickly left his post knowing someone was watching and glanced over his shoulder at me the entire route of his exit.
He met up with my neighbors son in the front yard and all of a sudden the boy yelled, ‘I’m 10!” I stood up, smiled and yelled back, “I’m 60!” The 10 year old looked up at me and grinned, as if amused to see me playing along, but maybe that shoutout puts something in perspective for them. We get to an age where we don’t have to look for something to do and ‘nothing’ becomes a sweet choice. We become friends with our age instead of keeping it hidden.
My elderly neighbor on the other side of me won’t reveal his birthday and told me it was rude to ask. I told him he doesn’t have to share the year, just the day, so I could bring him a cupcake, but he won’t budge as if that’s classified information.
The years between 50 and 60 are considered my favorite decade, but I’m seeing glimpses of this new chapter offering more, but in a different way. The choices we make as we tap into our true selves really do become more refined and better with age.
“One day an army of gray-haired women may quietly take over the earth.” Gloria Steinem.
Inbarbsworld 
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