You And Me, Celebrating. (A Coda)

(We’ve made it this far, and … )

Another funeral. The thought that one day, probably sooner than I like to think, I might run out of friends and relatives to bury – assuming I out-live them. Time passes, as remorseless as ever.

Equally remorseless, recurring thoughts about what I’ve learned over the years.

Time passes, you get older and a bunch of predictable expectations about you start cropping up. People might not expect you to be beautiful or handsome, but they will want you be something equally unlikely. More dignified perhaps, whatever that means, or in some way venerable – even majestic. And they’ll imagine wisdom comes with ageing, as if it grows on its own and just needs time passing to nourish it.

Time passing teaches nothing – not on its own. Time passes and you might witness all sorts of things, but you have to actually notice them. You could learn all sorts of things, but you have to have a receptive mind.

Look at us. You’ve made it as far as you have. I’ve done the same. Our lives could have ended already and they could end tomorrow. Meanwhile, time passes – remorselessly but softly, often unnoticed.

We should value the fact that we have time ahead of us. And we should look at the time ahead of us as an opportunity to celebrate – to celebrate while we can. And we should spend whatever time it turns out we do have left, living lives worth celebrating.