A Poem for my 60-Year-Old Self to Read
March 5, 2018
Raising a Parent
Dear 60-Year-Old-Me,
Its me, your 33 year old self writing to you.
The last 4 years have been a whirlwind of surprises and changes. Finding love, getting married, having a child, quitting the corporate life and pursuing my passion. What an incredible journey its been! As I look ahead at all the years from now till the time you’re reading this letter, I’m filled with hope and excitement for you!
I thought long and hard about everything I want to say to you. Then I realized that you’re obviously much more weathered and wiser than I am right now. So its not the big life lessons I need to tell you about. I’m sure you’ve got those figured out and even if you haven’t, you will when its time. Its the small things that matter so much and that we tend to forget and I want to remind you of those.
So here goes:
A Poem for my 60-Year-Old Self to Read – Baby & Beyond
Live, laugh, love – that’s what life is about
Don’t waste time with regret and doubt
Yes, you’ve made mistakes, but you’ve learnt and grown
You are brave and strong, that’s what you’ve shown
You’ve lived a good life and there’s more to come still
Who says you have to slow down once you’re over the hill?!
Travel the world, there’s so much to see
Write, sing, dance…be everything you can be
Learn to play the guitar, you’ve always wanted to
Learn a new language, that could be fun too
Have you fulfilled your dream is to sing at least once on a stage?
It’s never late to pursue your dream, no matter what age
Now the important stuff, understand this too
You’ve looked after everyone else, now make time for YOU
Take care of your health, be mindful of what you eat
Take your pills on time, give your body what it needs
Your body has changed and that’s ok
Things have sagged, wrinkled, greyed…it doesn’t matter anyway
Don’t stare at the mirror worried about the reflection you see
Looks don’t matter as long as you feel fit and healthy
Hit the gym or the yoga mat, take a walk everyday
Dance till you drop, stay active in every way
Spend more time with nature, smell every rose
Sunrises, sunsets, you never tire of watching those
Look at that man still standing by your side
With him you’ve weathered every storm and harsh tide
Tell him you still love him and will always do
Just as much as you did when your love was new
Don’t worry about whether you were good parents, you raised a good boy
Watching him flourish will bring you endless joy
It’s time for him to start a family of his own
Can you believe how much he has grown!
Sit back and relax, enjoy being a grandparent
I hear it’s much more fun that being a parent!
Pick up the phone, call those old and true friends
If you’ve hurt loved ones along the way, it’s time to make amends
On times when you’re low, just read this rhyme
I’m sure it will lift you up every single time
Live, laugh, love – that’s what life is about
Don’t waste time with regret and doubt
This blog post is a part of #WomensDayBlogParty. I’d like to thank Kavita from Momtastic World for introducing me. Read her post for this blog party here. Also do go to my friend Shubhreet’s blog post at Raising Karma to read her perspective on the topic.
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Wow!!! You have a way with verse too !!! I am impressed!!!
Thank you Aesha!
This letter really touched my heart. I am also 33 and a mom of two. This letter has encouraged me to keep doing what I am doing as a newbie blogger. The Women’s Blog Party sounds fun!
What a lovely poem.. And rhyming too. You did it, you did it, you captured my heart with your words. 🙂
Oh wow so thrilled to read that
Some of these go well for my younger self too. I could have saved myself a lot of grief over issues if I had approached them differently and not wasted time on things like you mentioned (regret, doubt). Good words to live by!
I think this is a post we all should save keep to read later in life. I can connect to almost everything you’ve written about. A lovely combination of prose and poetry.
Thank you so much Hinna…happy to know that you could relate
Loved reading the letter. You have a flair in writing. Keep up the good work ?
Live, Laugh and Love three words that make a life a beautiful journey. I have always been a fan of your writing. What I love most is your simple yet so effective writing which stays with the reader for a really long periofd of time.
That’s so encouraging to hear. I’m feeling more motivated than ever right now. Thank you!
Hahahaahah! It was a joy to read, and definitely something I would tell my older self too!
Very intriguing style of writing, too!
Thank you!