Liz has decided to leave our BOLLI Matters feature writing crew for other pursuits.  Here, she writes about the importance of gratitude in her life…and we are grateful for her contributions to our BOLLI blog!  

WITH GRATITUDE

By Liz David

For this, my final Senior Moment blog post, I was thinking of writing once again about the topic, “Grow old along with me. The best is yet to be.”  The only additional thing I have to say, though, is that I think we can only judge what the best may have been, or is, in retrospect; upon reflection on the moments large and small that have moved us, thrilled us. They could be moments of deep contemplation or joyous abandon.  They could be moments in relationship with others or alone. So, we all need to decide whether “the best is yet to be,” as in a future time or place, or, in the present moment, I’ll leave up to you.

What I really want to write about is gratitude.

Thank you, Sue Wurster for inviting me to write for the Senior Moments blog.  I don’t know why you thought of me, but you have given me the opportunity to voice my opinions, thoughts, advice through poetry, prose, and other writer’s words.  It has been a challenge–affirming and deeply satisfying. Most of all, I have deep gratitude for your support, advice, and friendship.

Thank you, Eleanor Jaffe, for accepting Sue’s invitation as well, so that we could be partners in this endeavor.  Our sharing this responsibility has deepened my appreciation of your talents as a writer, a teacher, and a good friend.

Thank you,  Barry David, for being my best friend, support, and encourager-in-chief.  My gratitude is boundless.

Thank you to the BOLLI community for your support, encouragement, and comments–both written and verbal—in response to my writing.  I am deeply grateful for the friendships and connections I have made over the years.

In his book “Gratitude,”  Oliver Sachs writes, and I paraphrase, “I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude.  I love and am loved. I give much and receive much in return.”   I have read and thought and written.

I, Elizabeth, feel gratitude deep down in my bones.

So, grow old along with me–the best is what we make of this fragile life and how we live it with gratitude.

We can’t thank you enough, Liz, for your many contributions to BOLLI Matters over the course of the past two years.  Your very thoughtful and perceptive pieces have touched all of us.!

Interested in doing some “Senior Moment” writing for our BOLLI audience?   Contact Sue at susanlwurster@gmail.com