When old Isaac Newton settled under that apple tree to discover gravity in the late 1600’s, he had no earthly idea of the consequences of such a magic moment on the writing and reading of these words on this page right now. As my life continues to ripen, I have developed a few theories of my own about the core values of more than just an ordinary apple and less than the rocket science it might take to get my sorry older self in orbit around the moon if not to the celestial city when it comes my turn to shuttle off this mortal coil. During the first half of our lives, we hardly notice the force of gravity because we are so energized and invigorated in pursuing success and raising families, that we dare not feel such a fearsome force. Besides, gravity is our friend that keeps our feet planted on the earth while our heads and hearts explore other parts of our existence.
Like so many other unseen wonders, the passage of time is something to which we seldom pay heed. But just like gravity, the steady march of time calls us forward relentlessly and, if – like the 23rd psalmist – we are lucky enough, we’ll always have goodness and mercy tagging along. As you come around the final curves heading toward the finish line, you feel the gentle force get heavier with each step and each day. Sunrise, sunset, swiftly flow the years…one season following another…laden with happiness and tears and a tad more gravity.
During the first half of our lives we are hell bent of doing our best to be as successful as we possibly can. In the latter half, “Staying Alive!” becomes our theme song.
A friend of mine took great delight in calling me once a year before seven o’clock in the morning to exclaim with charming surprise: “Dudley, I woke up with a seventy-two year old woman in my bed!” Year by year, it was the same message about the same woman with one more year added. I was glad to get the call just to know that the caller and the object of his affection were both alive! That’s miracle enough. Then, as year gave way to year, they added depth to the phrase “until death do we part” which was the ultimate in human gravitas.
At the end of his poem “Reluctance”, Robert Frost adds these befitting and poignant words:
Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?