slow down

(source)

this morning,

i  quickly ran to walmart for a few things.

i was on a time limit,

 not feeling very well

and every driver seemed to be getting in my way.

as i finally made it into the parking lot,

an elderly couple pulled out in front of me,

and slowly made their way 

into the lot.

my first reaction :

i was aggravated.

 they were driving so slow,

taking their good old time.

Sound familiar?

but then i got to thinking.

and i know that sometimes elderly people move so  slow,

take so long,

because their bodies have betrayed them

and they simply have no other choice.

but what if,

this isolated incident,

wasn't  for that reason.

i'm sure they too  hustled about in their day, 

complaining that there weren't enough hours in the day.

i'm sure there were days in their life that went by

without a single pause

or a single moment spent in appreciation of life.

what if,

this older and wiser couple

is simply trying to enjoy every single last moment. 

savor the time they have

to do something as simple

as going to walmart together.

maybe they spent  days as many of us do.

focusing only on what we don't have

what we miss

what we aren't

and then one day

all those  "one days"

turned into years.

80 to be exact.

and now, 

they know and appreciate 

the beauty each day,

each moment holds.

and can't help but to move slow,

to enjoy every second.