As I age, I think more and more about time.
My guess is that most folks who are clearly in the second half of life do as well. I even have a chapter in my book titled TIME so yeah, it’s on my mind.
With age comes wisdom and to this end, I’ve embraced the Latin proverb “carpe diem”, meaning seize the day. But living by this Latin proverb to me means to value each day of your life as if it was your last. When my last day comes, I don’t want to look back with regret. I hope to be of a sound mind that will allow me to recall memories I created along the way. My memories will of course include good times with family, friends, and recollections of Hawaii. Additionally, my memories will also include my lifelong love of baseball and softball.
I’ve included a picture in this blog I’m calling 4 AM softball. I’m calling it this because this past weekend, a senior softball team I play on decided to play in what is called the Heat Stroker tournament. This tournament is played at night as daytime temperatures here in St George, UT is around 104°. We look tired, right? We had just lost 16-13 and this was our third game of the night and yes, it was 4 AM.
IMO, to value each day means spending time doing the things that bring you joy, spending time with the people that make you a better person, and helping others do the same.
There will be a time when we physically can’t do the things we want to do. This too is just another part of the life experience. Don’t spend your life preparing for death, it’ll happen no matter what kind of life you’ve lived. Instead, start on that bucket list. Do the things you’ve always wanted to do but have delayed. As crazy as it may seem, play some 4 AM softball!