Before my 70th birthday, I went through a period of anxiety about getting older and coming closer to the end of this life. I began to think about what would be lost if the death knell were rung… friends, conversations, but mostly an opportunity to “make right” regrets I had, and a deep need to reconnect with those who had separated from me.

Little by little, after the big day, I relaxed. I reviewed what I have learned. Everything changes. We cannot redo our past. I took up with enthusiasm the mindfulness mantra shared by Buddhist teacher Sylvia Boorstein:”May I meet this moment with joy. May I meet it as a friend.”

One moment in time – it’s all we have and everything we have. I am ok. I wonder what the next moment will bring today, but I am not afraid. Joy makes quite a difference. Peace!