Growing older ain't for sissies

elizabethprata

Oct 28

By Elizabeth Prata

Actress Bette Davis said that. Growing old is not for sissies. And as I look at the age of 63 hurtling toward me in a few weeks, I can attest to her sentiment.

I have discovered that energy is a finite thing. Or at least, is sometimes elusive. In the universe there is entropy. One aspect of entropy describes how much energy in a closed system is unavailable to do work. Yes, that is me. Not just the universe. I'm a closed system with energy unavailable for work.

I've found that sometimes, particularly on Saturdays after a busy week, that I have lots of energy to do what I want. Things like cleaning, cooking, laundry, reading, or staying awake.

Other times like today, despite last night having a healthy supper and going to bed early, I have zero energy. I slept 7 1/2 hours, my sweet spot of sleep. I got up early (5am) feeling refreshed. I researched and wrote a blog, did some correspondence, but then my energy started flagging. I made scrambled eggs and pumpkin muffin for breakfast thinking that food would help restore me. I hydrated with glasses of chilled herb tea. But by 1:00pm I was exhausted. I took a nap and slept for an hour.

I can't tell you how much it bugs me to lose an hour or more of productivity. I say 'more' because I fight the nap before I succumb and take the nap. The fighting-the-nap time isn't productive either. I usually resort to watching cat rescue videos or just sitting there gazing into the air, thinking about energy.

I just can never count on having energy from one day to the next. Hate that!

Anyway after I woke up from my nap I felt better and I sat outside in the sun to grab a bit of vitamin D and I read a book. Then I pruned and watered my plants and took some photos of the fall around me. It is a gorgeous day. Here are the pictures:

I love that there are still flowers blooming when it's almost November.

And there are still butterflies around to enjoy the flowers, too

Sunlight through leaves is always pretty

Large crow sending caw caw messages to friends in other trees

Hopefully tomorrow I'll have energy and will do my cooking for the week before I go to church. If you're young, don't take energy for granted. If you're older, seize the day when you have energy because you never know when it will depart or when it will come back!