Recently we received a wonderful note from Donna, an After Fiftier, and it got me thinking about the After Fifty Living tag line: live it fully, live it now. But first, here’s the note:
“Hi Jo-Anne, I am a tour operator and specialize in garden tours. Many of my guests are 60 plus and I cannot tell you how many
AFL’s Founder, Jo-Anne
times I have heard from them saying this was a long awaited trip because my spouse didn’t like to travel…we are all getting to be over 50 and I applaud you.� I am almost 60 and would not dream of stopping what I have done since 1998. I love sharing the gardens of the world with those like minded spirits. You only live once, so live it fully.”
Many of us know that as we travel our individual life pathways, many unexpected events – some pleasant, some not-so-pleasant – can suddenly appear around a corner. When an unexpected event happens, and the event is a negative one, we may feel cheated. When I talk with people who have experienced some real tragedy, though, the ones who come out on top have a common trait. They don’t dwell on or wallow in feelings of being cheated. They don’t ignore reality. Rather, they have lived their lives to the fullest, and continue to do it now, while they can.
Many years ago one of our children died suddenly. Were we in shock? Absolutely. Did we grieve? We still grieve – even though he died many years ago. But our time with him was a joyful one. We didn’t know he was going to die so young – it was not expected at all. While he was with us, though, we were living our lives to the fullest. So when he was taken, we could look back and smile at all of our great memories. I hear the same thing from some widows and widowers. “I have no regrets. My marriage was a great one – we enjoyed our lives while we could.”
So, Donna, we’re glad you’re living life to the fullest. Donna says she’s doing what she loves, fulfilling her dreams. We all need to find and acknowledge our dreams and live our lives “to the fullest,” whatever those dreams may be! Many thanks for writing, Donna!
