Walking in Flip-Flops

Labor Day. As a kid, it meant the end of summer. It meant the freedom of long, hot summer days without a care in the world was gone. But although summer was over, we flourished in the joy of football, hayrides, bonfires, and the holidays, which bolstered us through another year of learning.
 
As an adult, when I equate the end of summer to the seasons of our lives, it is about the biggest obstacle that we face on this journey—the obstacle of loss.
 
The aging process is relentless. It forces us to say goodbye to our parents, our family, our loved ones, and our pets - those furry little creatures whose unconditional love endures longer than most human relationships.

Loss disheartens our spirit, our trust, our self-confidence, and the driving forces that weave the fabric of our being.
 
And if that weren't bad enough, we get buried in the mundane as we age. And yes, I know that word is an adjective, but I like it used as an all-inclusive noun. Please don't sic the grammar police on me. Think about it…
 
We lose our patience, our agility, our ability to reason, and often our common sense. It is harder to say "I am sorry" or "I was wrong" because, too frequently, the burden of maturity closes our eyes to the facts. Just because we're old and wise does not mean we are always right.
 
We lose our hair, our muscle strength, our teeth, and sometimes our ability to choose wisely. We lose patience, understanding, and the capacity to accept that the world we grew up in is no longer the world in which we live. Talk about annoying!
 
And boy, do I battle with the acceptance of the mundane. It is overwhelming, exhausting, and irritating. It simply sucks the life right out of me. Rising above it all to find the beauty in the gift we’ve been given – irrespective of catastrophic loss – is not a walk in the park. It feels more like a 15-mile hike through treacherous terrain, wearing flip-flops.
 
But – there is always a “but,” isn’t there? – dwelling on those losses robs us of hope, and joy, and literally kicks our mojo to the curb.
 
I have learned to be accepting of all the mundane idiosyncrasies that rattle my very existence. Well, all but one. The loss of continence and the inability to sneeze without mortal fear. Ah, but that is fodder for yet another rant.

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