Heartwings says, “Living with serendipity is helpful to personal growth.”

It is easier to anticipate the unfolding of the future when there is an example of it in your past. For instance, in my family none of the aging adults were physically handicapped in any way. My mother was physically agile, and vigorous in her nineties. She was also absent of mind. That started in her seventies, so it was no surprise. However, at my present age of eighty-eight her strength and agility were that of someone much younger. She was even still driving herself alone to Maine every summer.

None of my elders walked with a cane or even complained very much about their aches and pains. Thus, nothing prepared me for Parkinson’s and my slowly declining physical abilities. I am grateful that my mental faculties have stayed unaffected, and I still have most of my day-to-day memory as well as my long term one. I even have memories from before I was two years old.  Although I am not complaining about my physical condition—in fact I am grateful for what I can still do, I do mind how I look as I hobble along. Vanity is ageless.

My back bends as I walk, and I step slowly so as to be careful not to stumble. I can’t do nearly as much as I used to be able to do even a year ago. I don’t mean to whine; however, I do feel frustrated. Had I known this would happen would it feel any different? This is hard to tell. However, the best way to deal with the unexpected is to stay in the present moment and keep moving mindfully.

It is impossible for me to live without at least somewhat planning ahead. What’s important is first, to be flexible when things don’t go as planned and second to have confidence that the alternative outcome will be as good if not better than the original one. One example might be my frustrating recent experience of trying to return an Amazon purchase. I gave up after my attempts were obviously becoming a waste of time. Then when I looked more closely at what I planned to return, I saw that it was different than I had thought and was glad to keep it after all.

Another example might be working with my current physical condition as a new learning curve. Challenges are important to personal growth. For a good reason important to me. Nature is clear on this point: Without exception, all life as we know it, when it ceases to grow, begins to decay. Even rocks, though differently alive, will wear away with wind and time. I will stave off decay as best I can. While I cannot make much change in my physical condition, I can keep working on my mental, psychological and emotional one.

Living with less certainty and more serendipity is a delightfully engaging practice. Once I might have resisted it. Now after experiencing the results of trying to do so, I welcome it.

May you find good ways to learn and grow.

Blessings and best regards, Tasha Halpert

PS How do you feel about examples and their effect? Do you have comments or suggestions from your experience? I’d love to hear them. Write to me at tashahal@gmail.com. You can also sign up for my blog if you like at my WordPress site: http://tashasperspective.com.