Kids are back in school after the summer break, even though summer is still going strong here in Arizona. With the kids back in school, my day starts with the busyness of getting things ready for school, dropping them off at their respective schools, and later picking them up, and on and on.
I’m not complaining. There are days when I feel the need for a bit more shut-eye in the morning. Still, I wake up at 5. Waking up at 5 on a school day gives me time to journal and sip my tea peacefully while catching up with the news on our local TV station. I would like to add a few minutes of meditation and yoga to my morning routine, as I used to do a long while ago. But for now, my current morning routine centers me, and I look forward to this simple, unhurried start to my day.
I do yoga later in the day. By that, I mean I show up on the mat and do a sun salutation series, followed by a sequence of simple asanas. It’s not a workout. To me, this is my time for self-care, a time to notice where I am physically. Thankfully, my back pain and migraines have approved of this kind of calming yoga sequence. So, I am happy.
Last week, I celebrated my 40th birthday. I feel happy that I am here to relish this moment. I wouldn’t trivialize 40 years of my life by saying that age is just a number. I earned these 40 years by paying my dues along the way, many times over. I would say this though, age is not something to be ashamed of or proud of.
My hair is greyer than that of a typical 40-year-old’s, and I am fine with that. I want to grow in wisdom and maturity as my age increases. As I grow older, I realize that I am comfortable with who I am, beyond all the labels. This knowledge makes me immensely happy.
At this moment, I am grateful for:
- having a family who cares about each other
- connections in my life – the broken ones, the mended ones, the ones that were always there, the ones that never let me go, the ones that were patient with me, the ones I was patient with
- books – enriching my thoughts and showing me numerous different paths
- writing – for clarifying my tangled thoughts, untangling the mess my mind accumulates every now and then, for becoming my lifelong friend
- my brain, my mind, my body – my brain for deciphering the unknown and propelling me forward, my mind for holding space for me whenever I was stuck, my body for taking care of me and providing a space to grow
Summer is scorching my corner of the world so much that we are not stepping out for a walk. Naturally, I’m hardly taking any photos as my trysts with nature have dropped to almost zero this summer. But nature has its own way of encroaching into our lives, doesn’t it?
This beautiful scene appeared before me one afternoon while I was in the car waiting to pick up my son from school. The sky looked like a painting at that moment. The blue sky, patches of clouds, and trees came together to create this beauty that my phone camera helped me capture. It made me think that no matter how difficult the situation is, there will always be something to savor. When we find that ingredient, everything else goes smoothly.
Do you agree?
This post is written for This Sky and Some Reflections hosted by Parul at happiness and food.
Also joining Esha and Shilpa for #SoulfulSunday.
Once again wishing you a wonderful year ahead, Vinitha. Loved reading your thoughts and the reflections on life. When people used to say never ask a woman’s age, I thought it was kind of the norm. As I turned 36 a couple of months before, I had the same feeling as yours, I’ve earned this, every moment of it, especially the moments that did not make it easy. I’m glad to see how you own it and here’s wishing you wonderful years ahead! <3
Happy birthday again and how much I loved this post. Thank you for sharing about the reflections as you clocked in 40 rounds around the Sun. I still feel shy to admit I am 40 but I think I will get over it 😉 Thank you so much for this lovely post. <3
‘I wouldn’t trivialize 40 years of my life by saying that age is just a number’ – this line gave me food for thought and I mean deeper thought. I do not think I will ever say now that age is just a number. We have gone through a lot of considerable events and situations in order to reach the age that we are at present. So yeah I am proud to be 40+.
In addition to this , I really liked your expansion of the idea of connections especially ‘the ones that never let me go.’ The view of clouds in the scorching summer sky must have been quite a view.