E is for Enjoyment

In the overall scheme of things, our human lives are brief...mere blips in a universe that has existed for more millennia than we can even conceive. 

By dint of this brevity, I believe we owe it to ourselves, and our world, to enjoy life to the fullest and give back to it the very best of us.

Of course, we know life is also hard. Pain and misfortune befall us all and enjoyment is sometimes far removed from the picture. I have had my share of those times this year...

 But think...even in the midst of tribulation, have you not appreciated a steady arm around you when you needed it most...a quick nod of empathy from someone who cares, and the sweetness of encouraging words from a friend?

Embrace fully that depth of sharing, should you be blessed to have it offered.

Enjoyment is not limited to the grand things we dream of and plan for. 

I have marvelled at a hot-air balloon ride
over the Serengeti...




gazed with wonder at the majestic temples of Egypt...



and watched breathlessly as waves crashed wildly against the Giant's Causeway on Ireland's northern coast.

Undeniable pleasures, yes, but enjoyment is abundant in the everyday. 

The sight of a squirrel lolling comfortably on my porch railing.....

my sweet cat whiling away the afternoon in a tree,

and the camera that's never far away from my hands.

Small pleasures abound. I have bubbles to blow, a garden to tend,

  

and the continuing support of a blogging community that offers me encouragement and inspiration.

On the bluest of days, I can still count my blessings and take comfort in knowing the bad times will pass.

Let's celebrate our lives as the treasures they truly are.

Let's make our time here special, remembering to reach out and share that enjoyment with those we love...:)


I'm linking this post to ABC Wednesdays, a fun même you should check out if you haven't yet done so...

http://abcwednesday-mrsnesbitt.blogspot.ca/

Will You Still Need Me, Will You Still Feed Me, When I'm 64?

Some people never grow up…and I am proud to count myself part of that illustrious group, in spite of the arrival today of yet another birthday!

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Chronological markers play only a part in the cycle of aging, after all. I have talked to teenagers so jaded and cool that they’re old before their time…and met seniors who have never lost the sparkle in their eyes. Spirit isn’t defined by time, nor is there an age limit on one’s enthusiasm and sense of anticipation. While my body knows without a doubt it is no longer young, my inner child recalls with stunning clarity what it was like to be eleven… remembers with every fibre of her being how she marveled at the breadth of the Great Lakes and was rendered breathless by her first Canadian snowfall.
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 Snowfalls still enchant me, and if I ever get back to Lake Huron, I will rush forward with pure glee and throw myself in head first, clothes and all!

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Today, I turn into a Beatles tune, the very song I belted out cheerfully as a teenager, never grasping for a moment that one day I, too, would be that age. I admit to bewilderment at how quickly I got to this point.

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Throughout the years, I’ve struggled to be decorous. I’ve played the role of good daughter to aging parents, supportive wife to a long-time husband, responsible example for growing offspring to emulate, (all right, this last one may not have been carried off with great success, if my chortling adult children are to be believed)! Still, I’m universally recognized as a dutiful employee, a dependable friend, and an all-round decent person

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I am, however, no angel and often chafe at life’s restraints. The girl inside me enjoys a good spot of fun and still fancies shaking up the status quo on occasion, no matter how mild an exterior she displays to the world. I do think she’s entitled to get out and play a little more often now after her many years of patience!

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Turning 64 doesn't make me old.

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I think I'll know I’m old when I’m described as ‘sedate’, or am said to have ‘settled down’. Yuk!

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And the day - heaven forbid! – when I’m held up as a role model to anyone…. then I’ll know I’m old!
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Until then, I will unapologetically crunch on candy necklaces in public, fill my pockets with rocks and treasures picked up from the ground and splash happily through rain puddles in my bare feet whenever the urge takes me. I’ll dissolve into giggles at the slightest hint of mischief, and will never, ever get too old to laugh at my own foibles.

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 I will play hide-and-seek with tiny friends, though scrunching up in closets has become a challenge, and will return their little girl hugs with all the fervor kids put into every second of their lives. Birthdays are just another day, filled with endless possibilities as each one is! There are shells waiting to be gathered at the beach, puffy clouds to be watched and wondered at, and stories clamoring to be written down. Of course, I will also wash dishes, weed the garden and mop the floor, as mature adults must.

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But there is a big bottle of bubbles I bought last week that has yet to be opened…trying to get a good shot of a fleeting, iridescent bubble should amuse my child-like sensibilities for quite some time!

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