Seeing Your Reflection

This goose caught our fancy on yesterday's walk in the neighborhood

We met one of the new owners of our house yesterday.  She was so excited about the house and all of their plans about how to use the space.  She and her husband have busy medical-related occupations and two high school-aged children, one who will be graduating in a few weeks.  Her son is taking a "gap semester" before college, and she could even envision him living at home at various junctures in the future, just as our oldest son did.  While she was talking I felt a wave of nostalgia sweep over me.  She could have been me twenty years ago.  I could envision the next decade or two for them, filled with high school events, college visits, graduations, children getting launched into their careers, relationship drama, eventually weddings and grandchildren.  There would be unexpected pain and heartache as well, since life is more of a roller coaster than a sea cruise.

Our house would be the backdrop for many of these events, just as it was for us.  As we stood talking, I suddenly saw myself as she was seeing me, and I felt suddenly, old.  I could remember being her age and how I saw people who were retired and whose children were grown and whose greatest joy was spending time with their grandchildren.  And now I was that person.

I shared this perspective with my dear friend Heidi yesterday, with whom I share belly laughs at the absurdity of life, and her response was, "I can assure you, you are still quite immature at times."  And that somehow made it better.