The best is yet to be

Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made:
Our times are in his hand
Who saith, ``A whole I planned,
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!"

Robert Browning, "Rabbi Ben Ezra"

My assumption is that every age has its beauty. Life's adventure continues as long as we are breathing, so let's enjoy every stage and every phase.

I also assume that everything is here to bless me. It's all an opportunity to live, love, and laugh.

So when I had lunch with a friend the other day who lamented that her husband (aka "hub") isn't available to do things with her as much as she'd like him to, I thought, "Oh, she thinks he should spend more time with her and be her playmate." Isn't that interesting. She's waiting for him to do things with her instead of finding things that she could do to please herself. She's holding back on developing her own interests and using him as the excuse not to live, love, and laugh. She's limiting her possibilities for living joyfully because she thinks he should be part of the picture.

But the best is yet to be! There's another whole dimension she could explore with a simple shift in her assumptions: the opportunity to find happiness doing things by herself and/or with others.

Benefits for her: The joy and upliftment of being engaged in something she finds truly pleasing. The healthful release of resentment that hub isn't doing things according to her expectations. (I know for myself that the times I get into the biggest jams is when I think people should do things according to "Queen Christine.")

Benefit for him: He's sure to appreciate the release of pressure on him to change according to her plan. What a relief!

Added bonus: Who knows? He might just find her absolutely irresistible because of her energy and enthusiasm for a particular topic or focus. After all, there's something mighty attractive about people who are happy.