Thoughts on Growing Older with Meaning

By James E. Miller

Autumn arrives so quickly.
Even if you think you’re ready for it,
     you’re never quite ready.
It comes so easily, so naturally.
Once there were signs of growth all around.
Then the colors begin to shift
     and life begins to pull in upon itself.
In autumn you come to realize
     that the time you have before you
          is less than the time behind.
The possibilities you can entertain have narrowed.
There is a tension in the air.
You feel so young,
     yet you know you’re growing older.
You feel so sure, and so uncertain;
     so experienced, and so uninformed.
You have learned so much,
     and there is so much yet for you to discover.
You have, in the autumn of your life, a rare opportunity.
From this perspective—one you’ve never had before—
     you can view your life from a distance.
You can see where your years have led you,
     what they have given you,
          what they have taken from you,
               how they have formed you.
You can also look into your future and plan and hope and dream.
And you can take the time to look for something
     you’ve always been looking for,
          even if you haven’t put it into words:
               the meaning in your life.

Your journey through life is uniquely yours and no one else’s.

You are your own person,
     you have lived your own original life,
          and you will die your own unique death.
You dare not expect, therefore, that your journey will be everyone’s journey.
Come autumn, some people are serene and some are passionate.
Some are content, and some wrestle.
Some are hopeful, and others are afraid.
Some are hesitant, and others are bold.
You are called to make your own personal quest.
Like every seeker who ever lived,
     like every one who ever will live,
          you must walk your own walk,
               and you must discover for yourself.
Your task is to seek what is timeless and true.
And the place to begin is right where you are.
The place to look is deep within yourself.
Following your chosen path requires courage.
For you can never be sure what you will find,
     or when you will find it, and where, or how.
Unless you begin your search,
     and unless you persevere,
          the answers you seek will not be your answers.
They will belong to someone else.
And in the autumn of your life,
     you stand to miss too much to allow that to happen.
So find the path that you believe leads to meaning.
And then follow it.

There is a related videotape entitled Gaining a Heart of Wisdom. More information about this and other resources is available here.