“Don’t worry about aging, it won’t go on forever.”

(Overheard in the lobby of Edina‘s 7500 York Cooperative for senior citizens)

  

The rapidly approaching New Year (and new decade) has me thinking about the passage of time—that, and a comment I heard shouted across the gym this morning:

 “How much time ya got?”

Betty (one of the faithful who exercises daily) was asking Rod how long he had left on his treadmill session. Rod’s quick witted and a character, I knew his answer was not going to be what she expected–I wasn’t disappointed:

“Only God knows, Betty…only God knows.”

That corner of the room exploded in laughter as we all chimed in good naturedly; then Betty moaned something under her breath, waved him off with a half-frown and moved begrudgingly on to another piece of equipment.

But this is the existential question: How much time do any of us have?    

My neighbor is a woman in her early 50’s who has been battling what she thought was a lingering seasonal flu for months. The stress of moving an aging mother from a home in California to an assisted living facility in Portland finally exhausted her to the tipping-point of being hospitalized. She found out just before Christmas she has Leukemia and is undergoing treatment over the Holidays. Their home is not in lights this season.

She now ponders the question at year’s end…How quickly circumstances and priorities change. 

Paradoxically, the absence of lights on my neighbor’s house this year is a more meaningful reminder of what’s important…like stepping off the “treadmill” BEFORE your time is up.

 

See

Loprinzi’s Gym

The Late Dan Fogelberg: Auld Lang Syne

The Secret of Life is Enjoying the Passage of Time  

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