Aging Friend
An aging friend with classic lines, grey and weathered, a seemingly proud yet frail stance. I have been driving past this old barn on my daily commute for several years now. Tucked back off the road partially hidden behind over-grown fruit trees and once decorative shrubs, I cannot remember ever having passed by without my eye being drawn to catch a deliberate glance of this old friend with her moss-covered roof and tattered shingles. There is something enticing to me about imagining the storms and events that this old barn has surely endured. It is reassuring to see her still standing on each brief passing visit day-after-day as I go about my routine. Deep inside I know the day will surely come when gravity and Father Time will gently pull her down to rest and sleep in the fields which she has stood guard over for so many years but I am not ashamed to admit that I don’t want it to happen on my watch. Surely if she could understand just how much her presence and her continued strength and brave example mean to me and other daily passersby who catch a glimpse, a fleeting glance, a sign of calm and simpler times when life was not so rushed and filled with expectations, goals and roles and questions why. On a few isolated occasions, I have stopped by the roadside long enough to catch a closer look, to better see and appreciate this aging friend of mine. This visit last spring stays fresh in my memory, when the lilacs were in full bloom, their fragrance drifting in the air. I snapped this photo of the old barn posed gracefully behind the pink blooms which seemed to capture the beauty of her timeless lines and enduring spirit. I have often wondered what stories she may have to tell if only I had the time to get to know her better…to learn about her younger days when children played in the hay loft, laughing and swinging on ropes from fresh hewn beams. As I have grown older and greyer myself, life’s lessons are helping me to better understand how important and meaningful it can be to take the time…to make the time…to spend with loved ones who I have long admired and cherished…who have weathered storms of their own and endured events which they would love to share and talk about if only I could slow down long enough to enjoy and listen and appreciate the stories of their younger days. The gift of time and listening…a loving hug…a story shared…a hand held tight…does she understand just how much she means to me…how much I admire her strength and brave example…her loving smile and sense of calm in the face of the approaching storm. Still teaching me after all these years…to smile and love and to be okay with being scared and shedding tears. Fleeting time to share and hold…to embrace each moment that unfolds. Grey and aging frail friend…I am not ashamed to admit that I don’t want this to be happening on my watch. 