Kathleen Meadows

Turning 60

December 4, 2014 |  0 comments
Image Credit: Joey Gannon I celebrated my 60th birthday last Friday. It was a quiet affair with a luncheon prepared by my husband along with a couple of friends bearing party favours. We laughed and reminisced about birthdays past. I looked at the balloons that had 60 painted on them and was discreetly shocked. “That’s about me”, I thought with not a little pride.

I’ve discovered that 60 is a funny age. One marked with resolve, and an embarrassing amount of confusion. It’s as though all our birthdays before were sprinkled with planning, anticipation; a predominantly forward-facing orientation. At 60, that perspective shifts. It’s no more forward than backward, no more anticipation than sentiment, no planning or particular resolve. It’s as if we have finally made it to the present. I expect this is even more so at 70 and 80 and…

Fleeting Spiritual Insight

I’ve been an avid spiritual seeker for more than 45 years so that part of my life doesn’t feel any different. I’ve wandered through the teachings of all the major religions to a modest degree; I practiced hatha yoga for more than 30 years; I attended classes and workshops and facilitated many myself; I prayed, meditated and read hundreds of books and yet must confess to being little more enlightened than I was at the beginning. I’ve had moments of profound spiritual insight but have found them annoyingly fleeting. A lofty spiritual perspective will stubbornly desert me when I need it most such as when I’m feeling disappointed or angry. In other words, the mundane remains still less illusive than the profane.

Little Inclination for Politeness or Diplomacy

What has changed the most is how I feel about people. I have so little patience for mindless prattle and narcissism. There was a day when I listened for hours while others bemoaned their problems and foibles. Now I’m fidgety after 10 minutes. I simply must say what is in my mind and seldom do I care whether they really want to hear it or not. I love to laugh as much as I ever have but it’s almost never when it’s expected or contrived. I used to laugh to be polite. I almost never do that anymore either. I have little inclination for shows of politeness and diplomacy. I fear I would be a terrible audience at a comedy show. Fantasies of Making a Difference

I was weaned on politics; now I have no faith or interest in the process. It all seems so false and irrelevant. My heart bleeds for the oddest people and situations. What used to tug at my hearts strings, now leaves me feeling indifferent and impatient. I fantasize about doing something to really make a difference in the world and the next day sign up for a sewing class. There is no telling what I might do next. I surprise myself all the time.

Physically of course there are differences. Few of them to the good. I got a tetanus shot a few days ago and my arm still hurts and I’m tired like I’ve run some sort of marathon. There are too many foods to count that upset my stomach or give me a headache and if I don’t keep up my modest fitness routine, I stiffen up like a barn board. I have to try a heck of a lot harder just to keep the status quo in my body. It reminds me every day that it’s been a faithful friend for 60 years and it’s getting a little tired. Like an old purse, all the hardware still functions great but the creases and patina in the leather shouts out its daily use.

Gratitude

Not that turning 60 is altogether a dismal experience because perhaps the biggest change is my profound and daily feeling of gratitude. I made it to my 60th year in apparently excellent health with a remarkable sense of peace. There is nothing truly about my life I would change and if I would, I could. I am free at last. To be whom I want, do what I want, think and feel however I want and to love and express it to those I have an authentic connection to. I am committed to becoming ever more authentic with everyone in my life but especially to myself. I have no time to waste but plenty to fulfil my intentions. When asked if I qualify for the senior’s discount, I no longer feel squeamish but pleased and is it ever nice to finally not to be told to smile. No one tells a 60 year old woman to smile, they wouldn’t dare.

Kathleen Meadows has a Master’s degree in the Psychology of Religion and does Tarot readings online at http://www.tarotbykathleen.com

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If you are interested in the esoteric sciences and psychic ability development you will find the articles on my web site an interesting read. Visit my web site https://www.psychicanada.com/. Comments (0)

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