We spent Memorial Day weekend with our four-year old granddaughter and her loving mother and father. We also spent time with some of my high school classmates. It was a bookends experience: the limitless possibilities of childhood, where all the world is a stage, and the more focused potential of our senior years, where the triumphs and scars of experience guide the choices we make in creating our present moments.
The wonder of a four-year old was somehow mirrored in the delight of aging companions. It is only now, two years after our 50th, that some of us are meeting almost for the first time like somewhat familiar strangers. Over the course of a leisurely and abundant meal the grace that decades of living have taught us brought stimulating conversations and heartfelt sharing. Whether formally retired or not, the energy to make a difference still pulses in us.
It matters little whether the connections are new or rekindled. They are threads of a shawl that will join us together in warmth, fellowship and support for the years remaining.
Memorial Day pays tribute to those whose service and sacrifice made possible moments like we shared this past weekend. To the extent that each of us celebrates with child-like wonder the days given to us, contributes our gifts to the commons and offers our deepest gratitude for being alive and the freedoms we enjoy, we honor their legacy.
sacredlead 
Beautiful piece, Bob! I like the flow of life through your words. Especially the “threads of a shawl.” 🙂 Emme
I appreciate your read and your post, Emme, and your connection to the words. Mutual respect and support are awesome in relationships. I am grateful for ours.
Very nice post Bob! So articulate that I can sense the contrast between the young and the mature. Both are valued and necessary to live these days.
Thanks, Glenn. It’s a good reminder that young(er) and old(er) need each other’s gifts.
The condition of youth and age are magic to view. In the young they have little information and are sucking new things up like a sponge. One of the advantages of youth is that they don’t “know” that something is impossible. Because of that, they give it a try and sometimes the “impossible” becomes possible. In a more mature condition we have vast amounts of experiences (some more valuable than others) and “facts” . Given these resources we can see the connected-ness and inter-ralationships . We also tend to be less emotional. This allows us to , perhaps, function better in a crisis. ( one of OB’s central ideas ) . What is special is the melding of the strengths of these two conditions. For the more “mature ” of us I highly recommend learning at the knee of a 2, 3, or four year old. If you find yourself without these young resources I would be happy to rent some out for a reasonable fee. ( All proceeds to be deposited in their college fund). Somehow we have accumulated 5 of these magic creatures. We have strategically placed these resources in fun places to visit. Boston, Bay Area and Toronto. Book soon as timeslots are filling quickly.
You are blessed in your grandchildren, Stef, and they in their grandfather. The wisdom I seek is a blend of child-like curiosity and abandon, bounded only by the enlightened perspectives to be learned from experience.