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Buckle Up, Hold On: The Ride of a Lifetime

As our daughters get older, they want to ride roller coasters at amusement parks. What they fail to realize is I’m getting older too. And as I look up at the 300-foot drop at breakneck speeds, I’m becoming more focused on the warnings that accompany the voice greeting oncoming riders rather than the sheer joy of being at “America’s Roller Coast.”  

As we get older, the risks start to outweigh the rewards.  We begin to focus on what could happen instead of the joys of what is happening.  From marriages to careers, friends and family, and personal and professional goals, the carefree attitude and rush we get from just doing become complicated with the possibilities of risks that now enter into the equation.  

Instead of looking around over the side of the car to see the beautiful view that is at 300 feet in the air, we are so focused on the “click click” of the chain slowly pulling us up the hill. And when we reach the apex, we find ourselves looking forward to see what will happen next, forgetting to enjoy the journey of what got us here, unable to look back to see what we might have missed.

As I start to get wiser and more mature (notice I didn’t say older), it is important to keep a part of the kid in me out there, looking for the next adventure. While it is harder to do because there is more at play— not just my aging body— but with relationships, commitments and responsibilities, the rush we get out of pushing ourselves may just be what we need to see that, while we have more at play in our lives as we get older, we should never lose sight of the fact that it is not about the ups and downs we go through, but whether or not we take time to enjoy the entire ride.  After all, in this ride we call life, we only get one time to buckle up and hold on.

I hope you are doing well and thank you for reading this along with me. Remember, if you need anything, know that I’m here for you.

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