The joy of breathing

No one lives forever, but some people barely live at all.

The fear that I might look foolish, or be a bit reckless, or make someone else unhappy, or behave in a less than "adult" way, was incorporated into many people my age.  And in some places it is still a vital part of "growing up."

It is true that I need to be able to take care of myself, but that alone is not enough to live a wonderful life.  I am not a biological creature here only to breed, raise children and then slowly fade into oblivion.

For one thing, I am an example for those coming after me.  If I slowly draw inward like a little hermit crab, only exiting my shell when others need, or want me, that is a poor example of how to live joyfully.

Every moment that I draw a breath I have the possibility of learning something, or doing something, new.  It's not a test.  No one worth knowing is going to grade me on how well I do it.  It is the doing that is the most important.

I loved raising my children.  I doubt that I will ever do anything more important, or more fulfilling (and I made lots of mistakes along that way.) Now I am free to do a million more things and who knows how important they may be?

It should be against the law to bury people before they die.  The joy of waking up excited about life keeps us breathing a lot longer than people used to think.