Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed a lot of my contemporaries are experiencing illnesses and death in their families. Sadly, we’ve all lost loved ones but recently it just seems more prevalent. Last Sunday I got an early morning text and had a phone call with a dear friend whose wife was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. It all seems to be happening so fast. While I’m no poet, after that call I wrote these words. I’ve hesitated to post it but, well, I’m getting to that age.

 

You’re getting to that age
I can look and see
That for the very first time
You see the look from me

You’re getting to that age
When everything is new
And everything is interesting
There’s just so much to do

You’re getting to that age
When you’ll try anything
They tell you that you’re tone deaf
So what? You want to sing

You’re getting to that age
Where right and wrong will matter
But oftentimes you see the signs
And it’s just a lot of chatter

You’re getting to that age
The hard things now seem easy
You can’t understand
When others don’t find life breezy

You’re getting to that age
You’ve worked your way on up
You’ve learned to scrape, to love the grind
They say you have good luck

You’re getting to that age
When a surprise isn’t always good
You lose a job, you lose a friend
You don’t do what you should

You’re getting to that age
When time just flies on by
It seems like only yesterday
It goes by in a blink of an eye

You’re getting to that age
Where friends of friends are sick
Focus on your health
That should do the trick

You’re getting to that age
Your contemporaries are dying
There’s still time to do what you want to
It’s the lie you keep on lying

You’re getting to that age
Now, it is your time too
Your friends and family gather round
But really there’s only you

Before for you find yourself at that age
Stop a moment and think
Is this really what I wanted to do
Before my body sinks

Before for you find yourself at that age
Give it one more go
Do that which you wanted to
Stop telling yourself no

You’ve gotten to that age
A decision must be made
Will you break away from the crowd
Or drink someone else’s kool-aid?

Cause life can really beat you up
It can really suck
Or it can be your greatest dream
I wish for you good luck