A week ago, I celebrated a landmark birthday plus one, entering my eighth decade, time to question the root of the matter: aging.
The root problem
I noticed it two decades ago, the pull of gravity on my face, my breasts, and now my derriere. Once I was like a young flower, reaching for sunlight. Now I’m in senescence. My lip color has faded; my body sags; my cells and tissues are slowly deteriorating. It is inevitable.
Part of the problem is the extra 5 10 pounds I put on with menopause. It’s been hard to change from eating like an adult back to eating like a child. I am a creature of habit.
But the root of the problem is my mindset.
Root for an answer
When looking for answers on how to change my mind, I often root around outside, gardening, pulling weeds, or moving wood from felled trees in the forest to the wood pile. Working in God’s marvelous creation opens my ears and mind. This is what I heard:
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6
Root, root, root for the solution
Last week, I read an amazing quote from an essay-lecture written by Jorge Luis Borges titled “Blindness.”
“Everything that happens, including humiliations, embarrassments, misfortunes, all have been given like clay, like material for one’s art. One must accept it. For this reason I speak in a poem of the ancient food of heroes: humiliation, unhappiness, discord. Those things are given to us to transform, so that we may make from the miserable circumstances of our lives things that are eternal, or aspire to be so.”
I am not miserable but sometimes lament my sagging state and often pray for transformation. Not by Botox or plastic surgery. I want to get to the real root of the problem, to root for an answer, the solution, which I discovered here:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23
Now that’s something to root, root, root about.
Happy Labor Day!
Link up with Five Minute Friday: https://fiveminutefriday.com/2022/09/01/fmf-writing-prompt-link-up-root/
Thank you for the scripture references, especially Romans 8:6. A new verse to take to heart. Colossians 3 verse has one I’ve been holding onto the last few months and has helped me attitude-wise.
Your FMF neighbor #33
Ah yes, scripture has a way of straightening us out, doesn’t it?
Carole, in your photo, it doesn’t show. You’re a hottie.
The years need not be good to me,
don’t need my skin to thrive.
Cancer is my destiny,
and I will not be long alive
to see the lines upon my face,
gray hair upon my head.
I guess that there’s a kind of grace
in early being dead.
I really cannot say I mind,
for I will go to meet my Maker
with a really tight behind,
a puzzle for the undertaker
who’ll think that it’s the trip of trips,
my still-cut pecs and huge biceps.
Love you humor – thank you! -C.D.
Thank you for this post, Carole. Happy birthday to you too. Whatever we do, to work at it with all our heart, as for the Lord – this is wonderful wisdom. #34
Thank you, Dawn, for your sharing good wishes and wisdom. -C.D.