When I was young, I used to run like the wind.
I would race Nancy on her bike and would always win even when we were on a downward path.
I can remember it like it was yesterday.
She would carry her bike over the railroad tracks to get us on a trail that wrapped around a cemetery. She would make sure the coast was clear and it was safe for me to run full steam ahead. Then she would give me this smile and reach down and unhook my leash. I would sit there quivering with excitement, but not moving until she said go! During that space of time, I would see her lift one of her bike peddles up with her foot, and then place her foot on the peddle getting ready to peddle as fast as she could. Sometimes it felt like a lifetime to wait, but I did it because I knew it was part of the game.
Then she would turn her head and give me a big smile and shout GO!
The endorphins would rush through my body, and I would take off like the wind trying to make my legs to go faster and faster so I would be ahead of her and destine to win once again. YEA!
Well, those days are over.
I still can get in a good sprint, but the long distance of pounding the pavement and pushing my physical body as hard as I could days are over.
The other day, Nancy said, “We are growing gray together” with a smile. She is right, we are growing gray together and the gray is helping us grow even closer together and feel the love in our connection.
Since I am not able to do what I used to do, out of love for me and love of the game, Nancy bought a trailer for me. Now I can run like the wind for a short period of time and then rest in the trailer as she peddles us home.
Take a minute and ask yourself: How are you adjusting to this “gray” stage of life? Are you resisting the need to slow down and do less or are you gracefully letting go of the old to make room for the new? In the new, can you still get in a good sprint or only in your mind? Also do you have someone to peddle you back home?
The aging process is a challenge, whether you are a human or an animal. The trick I think is to anticipate our system slowing down and get support in place before we desperately need it. Then we need to find a way to honor and appreciate the gifts that slowing down gives us, like deeper connections, and more couch and snuggle time. We can’t roll back the clock, but with the right attitude, and a lot of love for life, our connections and ourselves, we can create a rich and glorious final chapter of our life.
If you need some support in learning how to slow down and embrace this new way of approaching life, 
I suggest you explore the I Create What I Believe (ICWIB) program where my friend Luke will demonstrate the ICWIB activities and/or attend the FREE Drawing in the Now classes that are taught by Nancy Marie over Zoom the first and third Monday of the month from 4:30 pm-5:00 pm PST.
To view archived classes or for more information about the FREE Drawing in the Now Classes
visit: https://icreatewhatibelieve.com/drawing-in-the-now/
For more information about the ICWIB Online Training Program
visit https://icreatewhatibelieve.com/online-training/
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or you can email Alex at Alex@icreatewhatibelieve.com
