The 50 Something Life

A half of a century, I have been on this beautiful planet for longer than a half of a flippin' century.  How in the holy heck did it happen so fast?!  When I turned the big 5-0 a couple of years ago, I'll admit, it hit me hard.  I spent a lot of time dwelling on the number five that came at the front of my age.  There were thoughts of how fast time had flown by, all of the things I hadn't done or accomplished in life, and a realization of my own mortality. 

Out of the ashes of negative thoughts arose an epiphany.  Yes, life is fleeting, and time is precious, but I was so focused on those things that I was not enjoying the present.  This led to a great amount of self-reflection, learning to make a conscious effort to focus on the here and now, and making the now as joyful as possible. 

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As I searched for a visual representation of the 50 Something Life, this photo spoke to me, a calming nature scene, with its presence of soothing water and backdrop of bright greenery.  The stacked stones are balancing on one another with the utmost precision, each stone representing a piece of oneself, with the largest piece at the very bottom of the stack supporting all the others.  That large, supporting piece at the bottom is one's true, authentic self - one's soul. 

While I embrace the present as a 50-something, I will continue my quest to define the stone on the bottom, the real me, my genuine self, my inner soul.