The Park Next Door

Short, Sweet & Scenic

10/28/2023

Leaves adorn the paved walking trail at Greenfield Park in West Allis.

I had minor surgery on my arm this week. Nothing drastic. But I was supposed to take it easy for a few days. The day after it was gloomy and rainy. The perfect day to hunker down indoors with a good book and a blanket.

I went out for coffee, fully intending to go straight back home and follow doctors orders. But, as is often the case, I took a short detour to a local park to see what was on display.

I headed to Greenfield Park in West Allis, and drove along the lagoon-side road. Plenty of autumn color. And leaves were falling quickly, thanks to the wind and the rain.

It was barely drizzling when I arrived, so I decided to get out of the car and take a few photos of the scene. It felt good, fresh air, pretty scenery, the smell of the decaying leaves. I decided to take a quick walk around the lagoon.

Now that things are peaking, and we've had so much wind, the trees are shedding their clothes and preparing for that first bit of winter. Best to enjoy the fall show while we can. So I wandered a bit, taking photos and enjoying the quiet. I'm so glad I did.

The leaf-covered trail was fully-fall around the lagoon at Greenfield Park.

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The Spectacular Senescence

10/5/2023

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Embracing The Autumn Of My Years...

Age is a funny thing. Our concept of it changes as we move through life. Decades ago, when my mom was on the cusp of her 60th birthday, I gave her a lot of grief. Teasing her about how old she was going to be.

She was a good sport about it. Though she had her share of health troubles, she was doing pretty well, and her spirit was youthful. Her sense of humor strong.

But time travels on, and, sadly, she's not around to return the joke. A fact that hovers over my mind and heart a lot lately.

My mom: big hair, big heart.

So, here it comes: 60! It's not exactly a surprise. I've seen it looming in front of me for a while now.

Some days I shrug it off. Some days I tally up the wisdom I've acquired over the last six decades (OK, most of that came within the past decade or so). Some days I panic. Some days I'm just a moody mess. Some days I wish I still had a pretty purple party dress.

Little me, in a pretty purple party dress.

In practical terms, I've arrived at this junction with most of my faculties intact. I even have a brand new knee. So, yeah, that's something.

Hey, I still have my own teeth. I'm putting that in the win column. I'm even managing to learn new things like gardening, and befriending chipmunks. More wins.

But there are days when the reality of age hits hard. The body aches, the brain fogs, the memory lapses. The idea of mortality becomes more succinct.

Finale' isn't just the end of a movie or musical or a good book. The End is not just words. The truth of the matter, some days, can cause me to break into an anxiety-ridden sweat.

THE END - Not just words.

Other days the light hits different. I'm just me, trying to forge ahead. Trying to do the best I can at what needs doing in my little corner of the world. Taking care of those that need my help. Sharing what I've learned, what I love, with kindred spirits.

Marveling at the little miracles in the everyday. Trying, sincerely, to be kind, and helpful, and understanding. I'd like to have more of these kinds of days. It's something to aspire to, anyway.

Kindness Matters.

Last year I learned a new term describing the process of the changing of the leaves - Senescence. In this case, Autumnal Senescence. The process by which the leaves change color in the fall.

As the long summer daylight wanes, and the temperatures cool, leaves naturally lose the chlorophyll that keeps them green throughout the growing season. As those fade, other natural pigments take over, and there's a new color palette in town. It's glorious.

The beauty of Autumnal Senescence is glorious.

It's a beautiful word, I think. Senescence. There's an elegance to it. It's simplest definition is to describe the process of deterioration with age. The changes to a biological cell as it grows older. Just as the changing seasons seem to mirror the seasons of our lives, senescence can define the process.

Just as we swoon over the newly born leaves in spring, fawn over the blooming flowers and trees in summer, we gaze in wonder at the changing autumn leaves. Revel in the crunch of them under foot as we wander about in September, October, November. Wouldn't it be lovely if we looked upon aging bodies and faces the same way, and marveled at them through each stage of life? Stopped looking away, or dismissing them as wrinkles appear, hair silvers, or age spots color our once youthful skin.

In all honesty, I'm still not going without my favorite lipstick. But, as I enter this new era, I'm going to try and remind myself to embrace the spectacular senescence at work. Autumn has always been my favorite season, anyway. I think my mom would appreciate that.

Here it is, 60.

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Short, Sweet & Scenic

The Spectacular Senescence

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