The sugar bag stated that it was BESTBY 08APR2023. That was specific, considering sugar is a dry substance and can’t harbor microorganisms that would make it go bad.
It made me wonder what my BESTBY date was. And that led to considering the various roles I’ve had in my life, each which had some kind of peak in quality.
I was a roller skating whiz at eight. It’s gone downhill since then, and after a fall at the roller rink a few years ago, my skating date has expired.
Likewise, my physical peak was long ago. Physical therapy is keeping me functional, but not optimal.
As a young mom I was impatient. With maturity I became more patient. Now, I’m just enjoying my adult children, and not actively parenting. So the BEST BY has expired.
At twenty I was the best violinist I would ever be, so that’s a half century ago. I keep plugging away, but doubt I’ll regain agile fingers and quick bowing.
Mental acuity is deteriorating. Ten years ago I wouldn’t have forgotten the names of the flowers in my garden. Or how we got our first child home from the hospital without a car.
2010, the year I retired from teaching, was probably the height of my career. I learned more about children and how the brain processes information after college than before. There was always some new skill to learn, or a conference to give me a new perspective.
As a wife, I’m long past the ardor I had as a young woman, so romance is past it’s BEST BY date. But our marriage is less contentious and more comfortable now. Until one of us gets dementia, I think we'll stay "fresh."
As a person of faith, I was more zealous and active before 50. However, more knowledge about the Bible, and more wisdom about life are of more value.
Like any foodstuff, my degeneration is inevitable, but I won’t go bad all at once--until the very end. Gratefully, I don't know what that date is.
A note: a young computer-savvy friend suggested you may not be able to leave a comment if you are using Safari for your search engine. Please try coming to my blog via Google, Bing or Chrome. Thanks. This tech stuff is giving me giant headaches. My BestBy date never happened with computers.
They keep jumping ahead of me.
