[2021-10-19] The Older I Get

I recently heard Alan Jackson's song "The Older I Get" (Spotify, YouTube). It is, of course, beautifully sung, but it's the lyrics that captivate me. I keep coming back to it. The song begins:

The older I get
The more I think
You only get a minute, better live while you're in it
'Cause it's gone in a blink

I have moments when I feel that my life has gone in a blink. I'm sure I'm not alone in that view.

And the older I get
The truer it is
It's the people you love, not the money and stuff
That makes you rich

It is beyond doubt the people we love and the people who love us that make life worth living. I would add to this list health, which makes life possible.

And the older I get
The better I am
At knowing when to give
And when to just not give a damn

A silver lining that comes from getting older is caring less about what other people think of us, and not getting caught up in their nonsense.

And the older I get
The more thankful I feel
For the life I've had
And all the life I'm living still

I take heart in the song's final five words: "the life I'm living still." Long may it be.