Winter is about to set upon us in Ohio. She is in the teasing mode right now; presenting lots of moisture and dipping the temperature just low enough to threaten snow but pulling back at the last moment. I can visualize the icy, threatening grin as she flashes glimpses of things to come.
Well, one of the advantages of accumulating a few years is that you gain the perspective, “if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all”. We have gotten through past winters and we will get through the coming one.
Speaking of age and winter, I have entered into one of the primary seasons of life – I have retired my formal working career. This phase is often referred to as life’s winter season, but I feel more like I am in an extended fall. Maybe this is what wintering in Key West is like. I am only 58 years old so by most accounts, too young to retire. Some of those years however provided some accelerated wear and tear. My oncologist suggested that considering the cancer, chemo and stem cell transplant, I should consider getting out from under the burden and stress of the “daily grind”. The damage to various body systems has turned out to be progressive; the sum of which is to render me less and less able to cope with the rigors of working a stressful job. One of the realizations that I have experienced is the connection between the body, mind, and emotions. The stress to my body has taken a toll on the stability of my emotions and nerves. The emotional connection became very apparent a few years ago when I did so much blogging. I wrote prose and poetry; both spewing forth almost without “my” control. I sort of watched as an observer.
I don’t feel physically bad all of the time as long as I can rest on demand and don’t have to deal with much responsibility. I still feel active and have thoughts for a number of projects that I would like to tackle so, I don’t really feel much like the chilled, muffled tones of winter are setting in. But, fall is definitely maturing, the leaves are all fallen, and it is a good idea to have a sweater handy.
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