Branna’s Falling For the Season
The word fall has new meaning as I approach my 67th birthday. What used to signal back-to-school sales and the turning of leaves now represents the risk of breaking a hip. “Taking a trip” doesn’t necessarily mean heading to Brown County anymore. This is my ode to getting older, my friends.
Yes, I see things through different lenses these days. The thought of falling in public used to paralyze me with the fear that someone might see it happen. Now I’m hoping there will be someone there to help me up! These days I find that I am amply able to trip over anything including air. I’m feeling beyond blessed at my bone density as I haven’t broken anything yet (knock on wood). Bruises a-plenty, but being a lifelong milk-lover has really paid off.
I no longer jump at the chance of plummeting from a plane (skydiving used to be #1 on my bucket list). A simple walk in the park sparks my spirit now. A trip down Memory Lane is far more palatable than face-planting on a treacherous mountain trail. Actually, I find it quite calisthenic just switching seasonal clothes in my closet.
My taste for travel has changed a bit too throughout my own season of life. Traipsing abroad has lost his allure. I would much rather meander through my humble Hoosier homeland in search of sites yet unseen. There’s plenty of sand and scenery right here in my own Midwestern backyard, and Mother Nature’s fall foliage never fails to fascinate me. As much as I grieve losing the green of summer, the bountiful beauty of the scenic season ahead excites me. Picking the perfect pumpkin replaces a playful plunge in the pool and a tractor – trekking hayride is treasured transportation. My grocery list looks less like salads and more like cinnamon and cider. Escaping the heat of a hot summer sun turns to sweater season, hot chocolate and friends around the fire pit. Camping, cabins and cool breezes are now the new norm.
Yes, my viewpoint has varied in mind, body and spirit. Miley Cyrus’ song “Used to be Young” has a chorus that really calls to me:
I know I used to be crazy
I know I used to be fun
You say I used to be wild
I say I used to be young.
You tell me time has changed me
That’s fine, I’ve had a good run
I know I used to be crazy
That’s ‘cause I used to be young
As I look over the last six and a half (plus) decades, it’s easy to lament over time long gone, but the future looks bright in spite of the aches, pains and other symptoms of being a senior citizen. Grandkids, graduations, great friends and family forge the future. So my parting prose is this: Fall in love with this season of your life. Enjoy every last bit of tread left on those tires. To quote one of my favorite phrases: “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why they call it the present.”
Branna (McCarty) Shores believes that “HOME is where your story begins.” A Noblesville native and proud graduate of NHS and Purdue University, she is a professional speaker, advocate for mental health and work / family balance and retired social worker. Branna is the mother of two grown daughters, six precious grandchildren and wife of one brave husband! Her passions include singing, writing and sharing the lighter side of life through lessons learned, both personally and professionally. She can be contacted at branna18@gmail.com