Today I turned 58 years old.
You can’t call that middle age with the best will in the world, unless you believe I’m going to live to be 116 years old.
I am already well over halfway and already quite worn out, but I have learned many wise lessons.
That we ourselves determine the meaning of our lives, for example.
That we should not let other people determine who we are and what we should do with our lives.
That life consists of time, that it is finite, that it seems to go faster and faster.
That we ourselves also consist of time and are therefore finite. That this finiteness makes life worth living, makes it precious.
And that we can give meaning to that fleeting time by grabbing pieces of it and slowing them down.
By filling them meaningfully, like by spending time with our loved ones, going on trips, gaining new experiences, reading, writing, looking at art, making art, listening to music, making music, helping people, caring for animals, gardening, admiring nature and help protect it.
Every now and then grab hold of the life that flies by at a fast pace and make good memories. And learn positive lessons from the negative experiences, which are just as much part of our life.
And sometimes just sit in an easy chair and enjoy the passing of time.
Happiness consists of scarce and therefore precious fine moments and good memories. Not of chasing ever more, ever better, ever higher, ever more exciting – because then we never have enough –, but of enjoying the here and now, of what is there.
Of the beautiful nature, which is at the same time fleeting and timeless.
And not worrying about what isn’t there now, what isn’t there anymore and what isn’t there yet and probably never will be.
Happiness consists of living fully in the moment and not worrying about our limitations.
Happiness consists of enjoying all forms of love, of imagination, of creation, of nature and of all the beautiful things we have already experienced.
Until our time is up and we return the atoms from which we are built to the universe.
I am grateful that I have been alive for 58 years already, I cherish many fond memories and hope that there are some more to come.
Hip hip, hooray!