Remember all the people that you used to be.

There is nothing I desire more than the opportunity to experience life throughout my golden years and beyond.  A recent friend’s milestone birthday, the loss of a neighbor and a quote sent to me by my father brought this realization to the forefront of my mind this week.

I want to experience all of the phases of my life.  I’ve been a child, a teenager and a mother and I can’t help but wonder what kind person I will become in the next twenty years.  Perhaps this is why we intensely mourn those lives that are cut short.   Living out one’s years is an honor and a privilege and somewhere in the recesses of the soul we understand the value of our life experience.   It brings to mind an indelible truth.

The truth is that throughout your life you become different people.   The person you were twenty years ago is not the same person you are today.  To have the opportunity to experience all the phases of life is a precious gift indeed.  The ability to cherish and accept the person you are today is an important goal to attain.   More of us have to stop lamenting the appearance of wrinkles and rejoice in the richness of our lives.

 “We all change when you think about it.  We’re all different people, all through our lives.  And that’s OK; That’s good.  You gotta keep moving so long as you remember all the people that you used to be.”  (Matt Smith, Dr. Who)

This is the gift of life, the chance to become the different people that you transform into based on the decisions and choices you make.  I want to see it and experience it all!  You keep learning, keep experiencing, keep creating and keep living.   Your experiences help mold and transform the foundational “you.”  This is also why I surround myself with people who enrich my life.  Those people who make me laugh, who are willing to try new food, go new places and rejoice in the here and now.

So look back and think about who you were.  Reflect on who you are today.  Aim to be a better person tomorrow.  Cherish and truly live the life you are so fortunate to be living.   Keep moving forward and “remember all the people that you used to be.”  Don’t apologize for who you are today, flaws and all.  Laugh when it is time to laugh, cry when it is time to cry and honor the life you have been given by living it.