Oh, happy days, spring is here! Hopefully, no more bulky coats and boots. For this very Southern gal that means sandals. It means sweet iced tea not hot tea or hot chocolate. For me, it also means time to plant my veggies. Last year while recovering from surgery I became a “raised garden” champion. Did I tell you my okra reached 7 feet tall? Seriously, I became a real fan of watching the tomatoes, okra, peppers, basil and even those precious southern collards greens grow. Every day that I saw a little bud appear, my happiness rose. When I could identify a small veggie, my excitement reached to new heights. All winter, I have longed for spring and the new growing season. I thought how nice it would be to live in a place where the seasons were mild enough to grow something all year long.
Hmmm, thinking of growing made me think, “since retiring, am I still growing?” As I often do, I grabbed the laptop and googled. One of the definitions of growing said “becoming greater over a period of time – increasing.” Wow! Now I must ask myself, what am I doing to grow. Have I become comfortable sleeping in and staying home waiting for plants to sprout? Even though I am now retired and achieving a major milestone birthday, I still need to learn. I still need new experiences. Unfortunately, there will come a time when I may not be able to physically or, heaven help, mentally learn, so now is the time.
So, what did I do? I accepted an offer from my oldest son to travel to places that have always been a dream of mine. After that “milestone” birthday, I will board a flight with him to fly to Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. While the trip is exciting, I also want to be prepared. It’s time to learn about the history of each, what cultures are unique? Of course, I want to be a good visitor so I am reading about what might be proper where I live but an offense in another country. And, being that my DNA clearly boasts of ancestors from both the Highlands of Scotland and the Moors of Ireland, I now feel compelled to search historical documents, tracing immigration routes and such. I find myself saying “I am so busy!!” My mind is also dreaming not only of the places that I will see but what were they like centuries ago…more books to read!!
To think, just planting the seeds for my garden, directed me to planting seeds for adventure and making long held dreams come to fruition. Milestone birthday or not, it’s better to keep moving and growing. As the old expression goes “Don’t let the grass grow under your feet!” Don’t hesitate, take action, be proactive and make life better not just for a trip but for your life. My new theme song might just be “Don’t let the sun go down on me…” So, what will you do to emerge from your comfortable place?
