W C Douglas' Notebook

 

Back Porch Reflections

Growing older used to be something I avoided thinking about. I was always too busy—chasing deadlines, showing up for everyone and everything. I thought age would somehow creep up and take things away from me. And in some ways, it has. 

But here’s the part no one tells you: there’s a sweetness to this stretch of life, if you let it come. There’s time now to sit still without guilt. Time to remember the ones who came and went. Time to appreciate a sunset like this one—not as the end of something, but as its own kind of quiet celebration.

You see, I don’t mind growing older. In fact, I’m grateful. Because I’ve had a front-row seat to the reality that not everyone gets this far. Some of the best people I’ve known—funny, wise, flawed, wonderful people—never got to see their own gray hairs or sit on a porch like this and smile back at life.

Growing older isn’t a punishment. It’s a privilege. Every wrinkle, every laugh line, every story I’ve told one too many times—it's all part of the deal. I’ll take it.

So today, I give thanks. For a heartbeat; for breath in my lungs. For a goofy, loyal dog. For memories that still warm. And for the gift of time—however much more of it I get.

Let the years come. I’m not afraid of them anymore.

Have a great week!  wcd