as the earth turns around the sun, we have passed the solstice, the darkest night. for many olders this darkness also resides within. ageing is regarded as decline, diminishment and a downward spiral. the treasure house is dark and shadowed with little light to dazzle and delight the eye.
if we come to see ageing not only as the demise of the physical body, but also as the harvest of our deepest self (some call it the soul), we can appreciate ageing as a time of great strength, poise and confidence. our treasure house is full of qualities of being which radiate our energy. when we are willing to look deep into our experience and unveil our wisdom, we can find vibrant value and gleaming grace in our ageing process.
this turning inward is not effortless. we will most likely encounter, in our treasure house of memory, difficult times. we might find pain that we thought we had forgotten or “already dealt with”. what can we garner from this life review, from this journey into the riches of the past?a question that arises for me is, “what has this event taught me”? this contemplation leads me to become aware of the strength i acquired from surviving that difficult experience. i become aware of the process of growth and change that the challenge has enabled. the grain of sand in the oyster’s tender flesh has created a new being…a pearl.
this reframing of the hard parts, the painful experiences, the tears and frustration of the past, allows breath to flow where there was none. it allows space to see, from the vantage point of age, the gifts i have received even in the most harrowing and agonising experience. and then the pearls are threaded onto a string that i call ‘my life’.and, of course, the treasure house of memory contains jewels of joy and brightness along with the grit-created pearls. the diamonds and emeralds of sunsets, of dances, of loves, of creation, of sharing, of insights all gleam nestled next to the pearls.
this then is the treasure house of a life’s experience, the treasure house of the soul.