Wrinkles: Don't take life for granted

Last week, I received an email that continues to whirl around in my mind, and one that duplicates my thoughts. I would like to share this with all of my readers who are on the right side of life's pyramid.

'And then it is winter'

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on a new life with my mate. Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is, the winter of my life, and it catches me by surprise. How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go, and where did my youth go? I remember well seeing older people through the years, thinking that those older people were years away from me, and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like. But, here it is, my friends are retired and getting gray. They move slower, and I see an older person now. Some are in better shape and some are in worse shape than me.

But, I see the great change - not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant, but, like me, their age is beginning to show, and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day. And taking a nap is not a treat anymore, it's mandatory. If I don't on my own free will, I just fall asleep where I sit.

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did. At least I know that, though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last, this I know, that when it's over on this earth, it's over. A new adventure will begin.

Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done, things I should have done, but, indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

So, if you're not in your winter yet, let me remind you that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, do it quickly. Don't put things off too long. Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not.

You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life. So, live for today, and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember. Hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past.

The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after. Make it a fantastic one. Live it well, enjoy today, be happy. Life is too short to let even one day be frenzied or frizzled or frittered away. And remember, it is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.