Diana, Age 70
Some 70th birthday reflections
Well, the BIG DAY came, and went, last Friday 4/20/2012 and I believe I will declare it all good! I had spent the prior week near Austin, TX with my sister, first of all enjoying a lovely body-bending, mind-expanding gentle yoga retreat (the “lotus” of this birthday report), and then just relaxing and drifting through the Austin area and the green and lush Texas hill country. The spring wildflower display was glorious, with color splashing the roadsides and open fields. We explored the lovely Lady Bird Wildflower Center one morning, joined by countless butterflies who were also attracted to the dazzling color and variety of the display.
Returning on April 19th from Texas to late spring in the rocky Arizona desert, one of my April birthday gifts has been seeing the flowers on the huge saguaro cactus here at home. These plants are the iconic armed giants. Here’s what happens when they bloom: little marble-like buds begin to pop out of the top surfaces of the “head” and “arms” of saguaro, and then gorgeous white blossoms open for just a few days.
So-lotus, Texas Bluebonnets, Arizona cactus blossoms, I suppose I could tie it all up with metaphoric glee, but I prefer to leave it where I started: its all been good. And I feel blessed. And optimistic.
At a meeting yesterday with Jane, whom I found to be a delight, a lady said something that I thought was really worthwhile repeating: “Each night when I go to sleep, I think of all the things that happened that day that I am grateful for”. I thought that was beautiful and it is something I am going to do.