Cherishing your recommendations always, especially the books!
I'm 27, so imagining my ninth decade feels strange, but I'd like to think that I'll be truly present, liberated, and at peace. I like how John O'Donahue says that our "distilled essence" comes out in old age. I have a feeling that becoming who I hope to be in my ninth decade begins now. Thank you for the thoughtful prompt. ❤️ I certainly hope to have the same gusto of this woman to learn a new language, just amazing!
Thank you for all these goodies, Susan. I’m 62 and I would love to continue to enjoy my life in a calm, kind and gentle way, keep my chronic disease under control as best I can, and keep my hearing to enjoy the sound of the cicadas and of the hoopoe birds in summer, and the owl and nightingales at night. I hope I keep my kooky sense of humor! Xx
Chopin was lovely soothing, russian literature has always intrigued me, people have been through alot.. Hope they have freedom some day my wish for everyone peace peace peace... Book sounded interesting thing I read another one you mention in another letter and who doesn't love the lady at the bottom always wanting to learn new things find beauty she hasn't seen or read before regardless of the age. May we all be inspire..
With time wealth, you made me remember the concept of a "Millionaire in Time" your husband mentioned.
The pic of that old lady really was so sweet and beautiful. How I wish to have that smile when I'm her age.
In my ninth decade, I want to be able to feel the breeze. To just have an enormous library in front of me, to continue being exhuberantly curious. To be able to be cozy in a bonfire in a house by the forest, or just to still have my wife beside me, her embrace equals that. Quiet pretty much defines what I want in my ninth decade, and of course, having my daughters around (and grandchildren, if they want to have them).
Thankyou, as ever, Susan for your contemplative prompts.
I am wishing for continued birdsong, especially the blackbird, outside my window. And to share my continued love of craft and the more than human with my grandchildren adults and their children...ie great grandchildren. The grandchildren are such great teachers at their respective ages of 10 weeks, 11 months and 3 and half years....imagine their tellings in 25 years and possibly their offspring.
I am somewhat surprised to be 81 years old - did not expect to make it to my ninth decade. Retired when I was 79 I am now reveling in my riches of time. Now, thanks to Susan's recommendations, I am deep into the rabbit hole reading everything I can find by GSM; I've always loved Russian literature and now have an excuse to re-read it all with GSMs comments. Thank you.
Maybe I am withering on the vine, but I'm using a lot of my now free time to learn how to paint icons (saints, angels, religious relics, scenes from the Bible, etc) which have always attracted me, and I am loving it. But maybe next I will learn Farsi so I can read the Persian poets. The world is my oyster. Hope you all enjoy your 9th decade.
Susan, your writing, and meditation, have taught me to finally look at what is right in front of me, not back, not forward. I have no plans for that decade (dangerously close!) But I just enjoyed these moments reading your post.
I hope in my 9th decade that our understanding of biology has progressed to the point where a lot of diseases have been eradicated. I've lost a lot of abilities in the last decade due to a muscle disease and hold out hope that I can do all the things I used to be able to do when I was younger.
In my ninth decade and far beyond i want to travel the stars, explore planets never before seen by human eyes. And then I might return to "society" and tell my tales and
In my 9th decade I wish to be jubilant! I desire to be rejoicing plus let out whoops and wild shouts of joy in amazement! WOW!
I want to take my queue and be inspired by the word jubilación, a Spanish word for the post-career stage of life. Jubilación means jubilation in English. The root word is jubilee.
I recently read about this and told some Spanish speakers & they never connected to words…
Borrowed from Latin iūbilātiōnem (“rejoicing”), from the verb iubilō, originally from Hebrew. Cognate with English jubilation.
jubilant (adj.)
1660s (Milton), from Latin iubilantem(nominative iubilans), present participle of iubilare "to let out whoops," in Christian writers, "to shout for joy," related to iubilum"wild shout," from Proto-Italic *iu, an exclamation of joy that probably was in Proto-Indo-European (cognates: Greek iu, an interjection of amazement, iuge "crying;" Middle High German ju, juch, an exclamation of joy; Dutch juichen, Old Norse yla, English yowl). With ending as in sibilant. Related: Jubilantly also from 1660s
Thinking of 80 reminded me that a friend who is Hindu told me that between your 80th and 81st birthday you have seen 1,000 full moons & it’s a HUGE milestone celebrated with the whole town/community!
Cherishing your recommendations always, especially the books!
I'm 27, so imagining my ninth decade feels strange, but I'd like to think that I'll be truly present, liberated, and at peace. I like how John O'Donahue says that our "distilled essence" comes out in old age. I have a feeling that becoming who I hope to be in my ninth decade begins now. Thank you for the thoughtful prompt. ❤️ I certainly hope to have the same gusto of this woman to learn a new language, just amazing!
For #3, "Quiet" or "The Power of Nice".
Thank you for all these goodies, Susan. I’m 62 and I would love to continue to enjoy my life in a calm, kind and gentle way, keep my chronic disease under control as best I can, and keep my hearing to enjoy the sound of the cicadas and of the hoopoe birds in summer, and the owl and nightingales at night. I hope I keep my kooky sense of humor! Xx
I need time to absorb all this wonderful stuff.
Chopin was lovely soothing, russian literature has always intrigued me, people have been through alot.. Hope they have freedom some day my wish for everyone peace peace peace... Book sounded interesting thing I read another one you mention in another letter and who doesn't love the lady at the bottom always wanting to learn new things find beauty she hasn't seen or read before regardless of the age. May we all be inspire..
With time wealth, you made me remember the concept of a "Millionaire in Time" your husband mentioned.
The pic of that old lady really was so sweet and beautiful. How I wish to have that smile when I'm her age.
In my ninth decade, I want to be able to feel the breeze. To just have an enormous library in front of me, to continue being exhuberantly curious. To be able to be cozy in a bonfire in a house by the forest, or just to still have my wife beside me, her embrace equals that. Quiet pretty much defines what I want in my ninth decade, and of course, having my daughters around (and grandchildren, if they want to have them).
Love this. Thank you 🙏🏽🩵
Thankyou, as ever, Susan for your contemplative prompts.
I am wishing for continued birdsong, especially the blackbird, outside my window. And to share my continued love of craft and the more than human with my grandchildren adults and their children...ie great grandchildren. The grandchildren are such great teachers at their respective ages of 10 weeks, 11 months and 3 and half years....imagine their tellings in 25 years and possibly their offspring.
I am somewhat surprised to be 81 years old - did not expect to make it to my ninth decade. Retired when I was 79 I am now reveling in my riches of time. Now, thanks to Susan's recommendations, I am deep into the rabbit hole reading everything I can find by GSM; I've always loved Russian literature and now have an excuse to re-read it all with GSMs comments. Thank you.
Maybe I am withering on the vine, but I'm using a lot of my now free time to learn how to paint icons (saints, angels, religious relics, scenes from the Bible, etc) which have always attracted me, and I am loving it. But maybe next I will learn Farsi so I can read the Persian poets. The world is my oyster. Hope you all enjoy your 9th decade.
Susan, your writing, and meditation, have taught me to finally look at what is right in front of me, not back, not forward. I have no plans for that decade (dangerously close!) But I just enjoyed these moments reading your post.
I want to be healthy enough travel, and have a companion to enjoy it with me.
I figure I will be pushing up daisies in my 9th decade.
I hope in my 9th decade that our understanding of biology has progressed to the point where a lot of diseases have been eradicated. I've lost a lot of abilities in the last decade due to a muscle disease and hold out hope that I can do all the things I used to be able to do when I was younger.
In my ninth decade and far beyond i want to travel the stars, explore planets never before seen by human eyes. And then I might return to "society" and tell my tales and
see if anyone wants to join me
In my 9th decade I wish to be jubilant! I desire to be rejoicing plus let out whoops and wild shouts of joy in amazement! WOW!
I want to take my queue and be inspired by the word jubilación, a Spanish word for the post-career stage of life. Jubilación means jubilation in English. The root word is jubilee.
I recently read about this and told some Spanish speakers & they never connected to words…
Borrowed from Latin iūbilātiōnem (“rejoicing”), from the verb iubilō, originally from Hebrew. Cognate with English jubilation.
jubilant (adj.)
1660s (Milton), from Latin iubilantem(nominative iubilans), present participle of iubilare "to let out whoops," in Christian writers, "to shout for joy," related to iubilum"wild shout," from Proto-Italic *iu, an exclamation of joy that probably was in Proto-Indo-European (cognates: Greek iu, an interjection of amazement, iuge "crying;" Middle High German ju, juch, an exclamation of joy; Dutch juichen, Old Norse yla, English yowl). With ending as in sibilant. Related: Jubilantly also from 1660s
Thinking of 80 reminded me that a friend who is Hindu told me that between your 80th and 81st birthday you have seen 1,000 full moons & it’s a HUGE milestone celebrated with the whole town/community!