The fact is that there is a beauty related to every age, just as there is a beauty related to every time, whether the morning sunrise or the encroaching darkness of night-time, whether the cold frostiness of winter or the balmy days of autumn. Each season has its own beauties, its own shortcomings and its own compensations. And so it is with our lives.The evening’s dusk does not contain the promise of light and the warmth of sunshine, but nor does the break of day promise us the quietness and privacy of the evening. The autumn does not contain the excitement of new life bursting through, but nor does the springtime offer us the wonderful hues of the leaves as they drop wistfully onto the earth. And so it is with our lives.
There is never an age which does not contain the possibilities for wonder and beauty, which means that as we grow older we should anticipate and welcome the colours and sounds of ageing, the nuances and textures, the possibilities still open to us and the recognition of our own mortality. It is a great adventure. For everything there is a time and season. The more we are able to appreciate this the more contented we are likely to become.
Malcolm Goldsmith
How beautifully leaves grow old
How full of light and colour are their last days
John Burroughs
1837 – 1921
US Naturalist & author
