Reflections: then and now

We all live to some extent within our past,
After all, our past is what has built us.
We feel no older than at some point in that past,
And in our mirrors, we se our younger selves.

We reminisce, repeat, try to be wise,
We have seen our past, and our past is us.
Our past is reflected in and through our eyes;
You may think, “If only those eyes would tell”

But we are who we think we are, that’s that!
Our deeds and us are never far apart,
And never did we simply stand at pat,
For we are always young at heart.

“When I grow up, I’ll show them how it’s done!”
Was I ever young? When I was, I thought,
“When I grow up, I’ll be the one who has won.
And, oh, I hope that I can be as fit as him.”

Yes,
When we were young, life was not at stake,
And we really did get things done.
Enthusiastic, we made some mistakes,
But we believed that we’d outlive them all.

But then life itself grabbed us by the scruff
And shook us from our treasured dreams,
And sometimes showed how life can be rough
And made us look at life, face to ugly face.

Sometimes we wish we could do life over –
And the things we didn’t do quite right –
But life never promised us a bed of clover,
And then we didn’t have that second sight.

Think of those coming to the end of life
Coming to terms with regrets and grief,
Feeling how reality cuts like a knife
And wondering how life came to be so brief.

But we are who we think we are, that’s that!
Our deed and us are never far apart
And never do we simply stand at pat
For we are the ones, always young at heart.

For a peek into “Chasing a Butterfly,” go to: goo.gl/nexsF4   http://bit.ly/2jQpFxS

Further reading at    #caregiver   #dementia      #Alzheimers   

Thank you.