Jamie O’Reilly
May ENews
May 9, 2018
Numbers Count: On Turning 60
Waking this dawn on a too-perfect birthday morning. The start of my 60th year. Sliver of moon just about faded, sunrise streaks aubergine and peach, peeking over the majestic flowering pear tree. In a minute comes the spring rain: crisp, clean, easy. I am ready for this one.
60! Holy cow, Batman!
Numbers count. When we’re not keeping score over old grievances, relieved over near misses, or reckoning with what fell through the cracks. we are tallying-up. What worked about what I made? What’s left to do? Will there will be time enough? Bargaining for a few more years with her. A few more hours with him. Adding and subtracting. 60! A big, pretty round number. The “new 40” or craggy precipice to senior-hood? Dunno.
Today a scant inch of rain came down, and the pear out back’s in bloom. Not thinking about how much time is left. Counting what I have. A great love. Those daughters and their delightful partners, a granddaughter AND a grandson! A with-it mom (still with us.) Thirteen bright and bold siblings and their extendeds. Friends of the finest measure. Many beautiful things. Volumes of music. Myriad memories. And me, still counting on this one grand life. Thank you all for seeing me through.
Happy Mother’s Day, womenfolk. -Jamie
Photo Smiling by Iwona Biedermann, dreamboxfoto.com
Photo Profile by Monica Kass Rogers, monicakassrogers.com
(read this as a newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/c3df00140431/birthday )
You have created wonder…the wonder of music…the joy of shared talent…the appreciation for now…
Even more of the same would be abundance.
For the times I have been there, thank you.