Of all the images and whispers I could share from yesterday’s walk, this one will not relent. Let me just start by saying it’s tough to get older. Not old. Older.

Consider the following.  Joyful parents post images of their little ones with spaghetti faces and hair. Everyone squeals “cute!” Who knew there was an expiration date on cute. If I do that now, or even after I entered 1st grade, suddenly cute morphs into crude. As one who is older, I should know better. I confess the urge to wipe my mouth with a napkin after every bite when I’m eating in public- just in case. Hmmmm. I think of the patience parents of my generation exerted when it came to talking, walking and potty training. When my padded bottom went thump when I tried to walk, no problem. Encouragement and hand clapping burst forth. Now, as one who is older, even though I don’t have the advantage of a padded bottom, let me go thump and people stare, think I’m drunk, clumsy, or whatever ill thought they conjure. Probably cover their mouths so I don’t see them laugh. I should know better. Hmmmmm. Go ahead, I dare you. Think of the transitions that have occurred as you’ve gotten older. All the you should know better feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. Endless!!

Ok, the transition…. the image. Well, ya see, my monitor went berserk – it really should know better! I had to use the tracking pad on the laptop. EEEEK! You know you haven’t dusted in a while when your finger leaves a road of dust.  I confess I looked up to heaven and tried to distract my mother the way I do with my dog when I see a dog walking in front of the window.  I should know better!! I’m older. You don’t let the dust get so thick it becomes a reverse blackboard and chalk.

A rainy day with no walk possible, I surrendered to the older hobbit and got out the duster stuff. As I dusted I found I did know better. I discovered patterns in the rocks I had forgotten. Feathers that were special treasures or gifts made my heart sigh. Rearranging and honoring I did know better. So many walks came flooding back. Precious moments danced with the dust. No, I didn’t need to dust. I needed to re-member.

And then the whisper of my own words to a young child taunted me. I told her as people got older and especially full grown adults we were subject to a really bad condition. She looked at me with huge eyes asking what? Adult-itis. She laughed. I explained we lost the wisdom of children. We would lose the magic. We should know better….but we don’t.  As we get older we SHOULD know better. We should re-member the feel of spaghetti on our faces and the sound of squishy peas landing on the floor. Go for it!  We should even feel the floor on our hands and knees as we crawl. We should feel the pull of gravity as we lift our bodies up from a grand sprawl on the floor. We should know BETTER.  We should wash the windows when we no longer can see the faeries dance. Dust when we’ve forgotten the texture of rocks and feathers. Feel the ice cream lipstick when we eat ice cream and scorn the napkin.

The images below are a reminder of what we can do when we are older and “know better.” I leave you with these images as I hear a spaghetti frozen dinner in my fridge that is calling me……