Coffee

Coffee

Sometimes, in the Morning, when my mind and body are deciding if it is time to get up, a joyful little nudge in the back of my brain whispers, “There is coffee waiting for you when you get up”. This is usually enough of an incentive to make me throw back the covers and start my day.  Having a cup of coffee in the morning is a simple everyday thing. Something I have done thousands of times in my life. I think finding such pleasure in it now, is something that has come to me, as I get older.

The process of aging can be treacherous.  The changes that silently creep over my face and body startle me when I look in the mirror. I wonder who that old woman is that is staring back at me. There are days when I wonder where my brain has run off to because it doesn’t seem to be with me. To know that I live in the generation that is “up to bat” so to say, in the “meet your maker” department is pretty daunting too.

So it was a joyful thing, when I found out that there are gifts we receive as we age. One of them is being able to perceive and take pleasure in the small joys of life. Another is a clearer self awareness of who I am and what I chose to be. 

It is true, my hearing may not be as keen as it once was but when I listen I am more likely to hear with my heart and truly understand the meaning of the words. I find myself being a better listener now.  I may need glasses to correct my vision but now when I look, I not only see the bird but I also see the beauty of the bird. I can see the world in all of its spectrums. I see things now that my younger eyes would have passed over. 

I’ve learned over the years that it is a choice, not an obligation to please other people.  I find that I can enjoy the company of others but I can enjoy my own company, just as well.  I am no longer overly concerned with others option of me, as the saying goes; it really is none of my business.  My moral compass has been set to my personal, due north, and I am at peace with my beliefs.  The truth and freedom of knowing these things is another gift of growing older.

Today I will take pleasure in the moments I spend sipping my coffee, in the stillness of this winter morning.  I will take time to notice the beauty of the cup that holds my brew.  I will relish the cradling comfort of my favorite chair and I will plan my day, anticipating the joy I will find in its hours.

Diana, for the Poplar Grove Muse