Love Letters to My Life #60

Buying green bananas at 77

Under a Hunter’s Moon

“To practice death is to practice freedom.” — Michel de Montaigne

I laughed at myself when I made my first 5-year plan at age 74. Now, I think it’s a mandatory part of life and I intend to update it twice a year.

Why?

Practicing death every month has convinced me that there truly is only so much time left, and I want to savor every moment. (And, by the way, that time thing is true of all of us from the time we’re born.)

What does that mean?

That I will practice paying attention. I will love my friends. Love my work. Love my body (yes that one with the wrinkles and creaks). Love every bright new day that dawns and deliberately see and appreciate the wonders of this world.

So what’s the plan?

I choose to live in delight and keep learning. Be grateful and generous. Reach out to green hope and know that the Great Mystery of All is pregnant with more love.

What does the plan look like?

• Write on Substack, the most generous of writing communities. (Goodbye Twitter?)

• Launch a month-long learning/travel project about the Neolithic Era, first from Stonehenge and then who knows?

• Connect more deeply to self and friends through The Hero’s Journey and Ira Progoff’s Intensive Journal.

• Savor and share nature through photography and art.

• Break out of, or greatly enlarge, my comfort zone.

• Walk a lot, eat healthy, hug more.

• Be kind to myself and the world around me.

Feel free to join me in practicing death … and please share your 5-year plan if you would like.

(And, in the meantime, buy those green bananas and savor the gradual turning before they reach that moment of perfection you most enjoy.)

Coming Wednesday, June 21: One dark night in Mexico.