A couple of decades back, I traveled to explore. Find new countries to learn the culture, enjoy the scenery, and take a break from all the work and stress of daily life.
The tick box on which countries I have traveled to were now filled up.
My favorite traveling companion was my mom. Of course, while we didn’t enjoy the same taste in lifestyle, to her, getting the chance to see the world was everything. To me, getting the chance to be with her was everything.
They say that as we age, many things begin to fail. Hearing, eyesight, health, and finances.
What once to be a flurry of birthday greetings are now an avalanche of sympathies and prayers.
To say that traveling with a 90-year-old who is ambulatory challenged is not easy is an understatement. As I always tell my friends, if there’s a will, there’s a way. The most important part of the travel at this age (and mine) is not just getting from point A to point B but HOW to get from point A to point B. The experience for those of in the silver years is not just about itineraries. It’s just being laid back and enjoying the small luxuries that we have worked very hard for, and the company we keep. At the end of the day, we will not be able to look back at what we could have done but rather at what we did and smile back and say, mission accomplished.
We’ve been to Japan so many times that my mom calls it her “favorite place on Earth”.
And upon request, this autumn trip to Tokyo reminds me that in the silver years of our life, autumn will always depict those years of wisdom, comfort and peaceful reflection. It serves as the visual metaphor for the beauty of impermanence and embracing personal transformations.
Peace and tranquility during those silver years…
