Change is inevitable

Rain gear being well used

We are in a period of rain right now, and although this picture was taken last year, it could be us this coming Thursday. After weeks and weeks of sunshine and blue skies, we're in a rainy patch. I really don't mind, and yesterday I got some of my veggie starts into the ground, and they will be very happy to have the moisture. I feel gratitude every day when I get up and once again realize how lucky I am to live here, rain and all.

I've been thinking about the Five Buddhist Remembrances, which I've written about before, not long ago in fact. But they keep coming up to me, reminding me once again about how change is inevitable in life. The first Remembrance:

I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.

There's something about having passed my seventy-fifth year that reminds me of this fact. If I were to die today, nobody would remark that it was premature. A few years ago, I found this lovely article in the Atlantic, about the author hoping to die at 75. Having just re-read it, I realize I have lived a full life, and I'm grateful for every day of relative health and activity I enjoy. Yesterday I walked five miles and listened to bird calls and took pleasure in the burgeoning spring. The second Remembrance:

I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health.

Aches and pains come with the territory of age, and I have my share of them. Although I do what I can to mitigate them, they will not ever leave me permanently. Sometimes I wonder if this ache or that pain is something worse, something that will eventually kill me, but there is nothing to be done about it, since we all know where we are headed. Sorry if I have to remind you, but that is what remembrances are for. The third Remembrance:

I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death. 

This is true of everything and everyone who has ever been born. Now that I am in my twilight years, one thing that has become more important to me is gratitude for the life I have now, with the realization that at any time it might change, just as the weather has changed from sunshine to rain. We need it all. The fourth Remembrance:

All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.

No way to escape being separated from my beloved? How can that be? Oh, right: he's mortal just like me. Those beautiful, noisy birds in the trees are mortal, as well as the trees themselves. Every living thing is "of the nature to change." There is only one way I know to deal with this pesky fact: enjoy every moment, and be grateful for all that comes my way. And of course, the fifth Remembrance:

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

 After pondering the first four Remembrances, this one gives me comfort. It makes me realize that, although everyone and everything else in our lives is ephemeral, our actions are our only true belongings. That what I choose to do with my life, my day, my blog post, can make a difference. I like the part that reminds me that "my actions are the ground upon which I stand." That is what remembrances are for: to remind us once again about what is real and important.

During my long life, I have had many tragedies and disappointments. I could focus on those if I wished, or I could instead think of the inevitability of these events in everyone's life, and think about the good, beautiful moments I enjoy every single day. I have a body and brain that function moderately well, you might even say magnificently if you consider my age and relative ordinariness. My beloved partner and I share a life that I find fulfilling, my friends enrich my days with their presence, and I live in a modest but functional apartment that keeps me warm and dry. Why wouldn't I choose to focus on all that?

Yesterday I watched this YouTube video that also reminded me that all creatures know about suffering and loss, even if they are puppies watching the Lion King:

I was amazed that this puppy realized what was on the screen and reacted to it, with empathy and an obvious realization of loss. It is a reminder to me that we humans share our lives with wonderful creatures who know all about love.
And with that little gift, I'll move on to the rest of my day. I'll get up and go to the coffee shop to join my friends there, and then to the movies with my friend Judy later on. Plus a bit of time in the garden to see how my plants fared after last night's rain. Until we meet again next week, I wish you all the very best week ever. Be well, dear friends.