21 Again

My attending of a cousin's 21st birthday party this evening brings me for a walk down lane memory.

It seems like yesterday when I have my 21st year old birthday party. In a wink of an eye, its the next generation's party that I am invited to, along with my own little family. Looking at my cousin who turns 21 tonight, life is full of hope, full of optimism, full of promises of the beginning of many good things to come.

Looking at the many young adults at the party, I cannot help but feel old. Perhaps not mentally, but definitely physically. Time and tide wait for no man. Though it is important and good to feel young at heart, no one can deny the passage of time. Age does and will catch up. The worst nightmare is to have a active and 'youthful' mind trapped in an old aged body. One cannot help but feel helpless and dependent on others when that happened.

Every one of us hopes to leave this world gracefully. But how many of us actually have this luxury of choice ultimately? I shudder each time I think deep enough into the reality of life and death. Of course, I hope when it is my turn to go, I can have that inner peace to embrace it gracefully and let go.