Growing Old...

While looking through one of my older websites, I came across this poem:


Growing Old

The days grow shorter, the nights grow longer;

The headstones thicken along the way;

And life grows sadder, but love grows stronger

For those who walk with us day by day.

The tear comes quicker, the laugh comes slower;

The courage is lesser to do and dare;

And the tide of joy in the heart falls lower,

And seldom covers the reefs of care.

But all true things in the world seem truer;

And the better things of earth seem best,

And friends are dearer, as friends are fewer,

And Love is all as our sun dips west.

Then let us clasp hands as we walk together,

And let us speak softly in low sweet tone,

For no man knows on the morrow whether

we two pass on - or but one alone.

by Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Makes you think... more now than it did then.  I also visited some sites this morning where the people were fulfilling their lifetime dream of traveling in their retirement years.  Some were just taking more vacations, others were actually traveling around the country... in RV's or trucks.  Their photos are awesome!  And I imagine their experiences are awesome too!

I love to travel.  And I prefer to 'live like the natives' so to speak.  This doesn't mean that I 'rough it' much, only that I like to stay in a home, B&B, mission, etc. to get the feel of the place... and not necessarily a hotel  (you know, 'eat where the locals eat'). But as much as I enjoy it, I'm not sure that being on the road 24/7 would be my thing.  The longest I've ever been 'out of my element' was a month-long trip to England, Scotland, and Ireland... which was fantastic. We weren't with a tour, just on our own.  But by the end of the month, I was tired and more than ready to go home.

Think about it...  even if you're having a fantastic time, there comes a moment eventually when home beckons.  Doesn't it?