Traditions

Traditions

All my life, my experience of time is like that of so many,
it moves so fast that life is almost a dream,
moments whiz by along with the days, months and years,
and yes now that I am older, decades.
I embrace this with my whole heart; the rapidity,
it comforts me to be able to say, “this to shall pass.

Now this, now that, one continuous chain looping,
events seeming endless but that is an illusion,
for without an ending there would be no time,
no urgency or desire to accomplish anything,
one short life gives color and depth to our days
if we keep the reality of our temporality before us,
then perhaps we will find that we do enjoy life to its fullness.

When young I thought old age was far off,
now my youth seems like a dream causing me to think,
“Did it all really happen”, was I really that callow youth?
Almost a stranger to me now, yet also me, a part of the puzzle,
the complexity that is simply us, all of us without exception, such is our journey.

Aging should be embraced, along with learning and growing in love.
Our energy, it just changes as we mature becoming more inward,
preparing us for our appointment with that hour when we must leave,
go through that dark door into what many believe is light, healing,
an endless growing relationship with the eternal,
something for me beyond comprenshion, though I believe it to be true.

The mystery deepens as the years fly by, my understanding lessens,
yet also my hope and freedom to seek the truth from my heart expands,
not allowing others to tell me, or preach to me, unless I want them to.
I belong to a tradition that feeds me and pushes me towards greater freedom,
yet the roots also remain, for without roots there are only fast growing weeds,
quick to flourish and then quick to die.

Traditions are alive if they stay malleable and true,
a conduit between the past, present and future,
a living vine filled with juice and greenery that seeks its own maturity,
of which I am a small part.

New Years Eve has never been that important to me even when young,
I always stayed in that night, leaving my night life for saner evenings,
never understood the noise and racket, yet I know it is important to many,
and for me that is enough.

Perhaps having New Years Eve gives hope, the coming year will be better,
hope is a good thing, for without it life can become one long grey trip to nowhere,
something I would not wish on anyone, ever.

So Happy New Year everyone and may you all be blessed. I hope and pray that this year will truly be better than the one before…….and if not, well cling to hope, faith, love, and also your traditions that pave a way though the chaos.