By Suzanne Bishop, MS (Article in Bodhi Tree, May 2018.)

“Death is beautiful when seen to be a law, and not an accident – It is as common as life.”  ~Henry David Thoreau

Growing older is a beautiful thing to me. It is also a process few look forward to. Until now.
In the process of growing older, I have lost my energy in certain ways, lost my figure in other ways, and lost my sense that life’s horizon will just keep expanding before me with no end in sight. At the age of 61, I now see the end. Do not go to the popular apps or websites that will predict your death based on your age, health issues, and family lineage. Oh my God, do not go there. When one tilts more toward the end of our life scale, we begin to see and understand much more clearly how very important NOW is, in the sense that there are not that many of NOWs left to enjoy. So, life can take on greater meaning than ever before. Our mission and/or bucket list sits squarely in front of us and we must act, because we have no other choice.

My letting go, as I age, is surreal and sublime to me. I am very stubborn, letting go at any other time in my life would be difficult. I now thank God and Source for giving me this life, to grow, make mistakes, to have victories—but like a Tibetan sand art sacred circle my life was never meant to be a product, it was intended to be a process. A very sacred process. I have always been a work in process, and will remain so until I transcend this realm. There is much we older folks can teach about letting go to younger folk. It is our wisdom and eminent death that propels us to forgive, to let go. I am now free.

Although my suit, my body, is old—my faith is new — my expectations for others is now more fluid — and most important my laughter is real. Easing closer to death makes me fearless, but with wisdom that what I conquer can be returned like glass like bubbles in the wind. I am forever in transition, Roma have it right all along—I am a temporary sojourner doing the best I know how with my life and my best is letting go so I may be delivered to my sacred Self as death approaches. I will be naked and free and be with my Eternal Eternity silently diffused into space.