Aging...Gracefully?

Here I am, no longer young,
No longer middle-aged, but moving
Into old age which lies ahead
With the seeming-inevitability of my
Next breath.
And how will I receive it, this
Passage of life's time?
Will I embrace it as a warm and
Welcoming friend, or will I fight
Tooth and nail to hold it at
Arm's length?
Can I see and accept both the
Gifts it brings and the losses of
Those things which slip away?
Can I spend this aging time in
embracing both cherished memories
And the active, daring present?
Can I accept the limitations of a
Changing body while still caring
Wisely & well for my physical,
Mental, and spiritual health?
Today is the day I have, at
Seventy-one years and five days
Of age.
May I live it fully, with both
Wisdom and joy, open to both
Giving and receiving.
And when I lie down to sleep
This night, may I embrace the
Healing tenderness of rest from
My labors of love and living.