A little poem for Seniors

Just received the following humorous/poignant poem in an e-mail.  It certainly does apply if one identifies with their body!  Bodies do age, but here's something to contemplate:  isn't it interesting that the " I" that we call ourselves never changes?  It's the same  "I" that we were when we were kids, adolescents, young adults, and are right now.  Though the body ages, declines and finally dies, the "I" always stays the same.  Our own experience verifies this.

Wise men and sages throughout the centuries have told us the "I" never dies...it is the purest essence of Life Itself.  And that is who we really are -- not the body, not the mind, but the essence of eternal Life.  Suffering (aging, sickness, death) comes from identifying with the body and mind -- and forgetting the "I" that is always there, always the same, steadily shining as the changeless presence throughout all the changes of body and mind.  The source of "I" can't be seen with the senses, but it is the background of all the senses.  Near-death experiencers have told us they were still the same "I" after leaving the physical body and that they were then identified with another body, lighter and more ethereal.  The "I" of themselves stayed exactly the same, even through the change we call "death." 

With that little bit of uninvited philosophy (can't help myself, it occurred to me! (~.~)), you can read the following little poem (truthful from the standpoint of the body) and, even while ruefully laughing with its easy-to-identify-with descriptions, have a more expanded perspective as well, which might take the edge off the harshness of aging.  (~.~)  The advice at the end is good except for the part that says you pass this way only once.  It's true you pass this way only once as the "person" you are now, but who knows how many "personal" lifetimes the eternal "I" has had--and will have -- in all dimensions?  No matter what your religion or beliefs, it's something to consider from your own undeniable experience as the changeless "I": 

 

     HOW TRUE IT IS 

Another year has passed 
And we're all a little older.
 
Last summer felt hotter 
And winter seems much colder.

I rack my brain for happy thoughts, 
To put down on my pad, 

But lots of things, That come to mind
Just make me kind of sad.

There was a time not long ago 
When life was quite a blast.

Now I fully understand
About 'Living in the Past'. 

We used to go to friends homes,
Football games and lunches.

Now we go to therapy, to hospitals,
And after-funeral brunches.

We used to have hangovers,
From parties that were gay.   

Now we suffer body aches 
And sleep the night away. 

We used to go out dining, 
And couldn't get our fill. 

Now we ask for doggie bags, 
Come home and take a pill.

We used to travel often
To places near and far. 

Now we get backaches
From riding in the car. 

We used to go out shopping
For new clothing at the Mall 

But, now we never bother...
All the sizes are too small. 

That, my friend is how life is, 
And now my tale is told. 

So, enjoy each day and live it up...
Before you're too damn old!!

 

You pass this way only once so enjoy it while you can; Live A Lot, Laugh A Lot and Love A Lot!