They're playing our song:

Appreciate season of aging

		Grand Mom  Audrey  Mettel Fixmer

How many times have we said recently, "What a beautiful day!" ?

Autumn in Wisconsin is usually the nicest time of the year, but this year has been particularly gorgeous. Chrysanthemums perk up my back yard and a burning bush and a red maple set my front yard aglow.

The rich golds and reds and yellows of the trees set our hearts singing as we drive to and from work, store, and church. The harvest is in; the mosquitoes are out. No wonder it is the time for thanks giving.

No wonder, too, that we so often hear or read the analogy between autumn and aging. Just as the leaves of the trees reach their full beauty in autumn, so do we humans. We senior citizens are at our prime, not physically necessarily, but certainly spiritually and mentally.

Harvest time of life

Behind us are the rough years of running on the treadmill to earn enough money to "keep the wolf from the door," of building enough resources to survive, of sleepless nights with sick children, of bottomless piles of laundry and empty cupboards.

Now is the harvest when we reap the fruits of our labor. The kids are grown and frequently on hand to climb a ladder, lift a load, or simply warm our hearts with loving messages and beautiful grandchildren.

Our pastor, Father Jim, gave a delightful homily for All Saints Day. It was an upbeat message on how we are all, those of us in a state of sanctifying grace, living saints and will, one day, be crowned in heaven.

Since we attended the Mass on the eve of the holy day, it was also Halloween. So when Father Jim concluded with his pumpkin story, I was so tickled that I had to sit on my hands to keep from applauding.

Let God's light shine

He told of a woman who had joined the Catholic Church as an adult. Someone asked her how it felt to arrive at this point in mid-life. She thought for a minute, and her gaze fell upon a pumpkin decoration in the corner.

"Well," she said, "I feel like a pumpkin."

"A pumpkin?" said the stunned inquisitor. "How is that?"

The woman smiled. "Yes, a pumpkin. God plucked me from a huge field, cleaned me off, and removed all my seeds of iniquity. Then He carved a smile on my face and placed his light inside me to shine through me. He wants me to bring His light into the world."

Father concluded by saying, "I don't know about you, but I will never look at a pumpkin in the same way again."

I agree completely. So now, in addition to the colorful leaves, I have the pumpkin, another metaphor to brighten my days and make me happy to be aging.

An uplifting song

If that isn't enough, I can always go back to singing the song written by my late friend, Patricia Gits Opatz. I know that I have quoted it before, but I find the message so upbeat that I can't help singing it again at this time of the year. It is sung to the tune of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean."

To which I can only add "Amen!"

"Grandmom" likes hearing from other senior citizens who enjoy aging at P.O. Box 216, Fort Atkinson, WI 53538.