06/24/2023
I am much younger in this photo. The older hands on me are gentle, loving, and supportive. My eyes are turned toward my beloved friend Iola, who offered so much grace and wisdom to me in her later years. Whenever we got together for coffee, or lunch, or happy hour, (because there's always food or drink involved!) she would say, "We're celebrating!"
Human connection is ALWAYS worth celebrating.
An excerpt from The Coming of Age by Simone de Beauvoir:
“Growing, ripening, aging, dying — the passing of time is predestined, inevitable.
“There is only one solution if old age is not to be an absurd parody of our former life, and that is to go on pursuing ends that give our existence a meaning — devotion to individuals, to groups or to causes, social, political, intellectual or creative work… In old age we should wish still to have passions strong enough to prevent us turning in on ourselves. One’s life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation, compassion.”
