Our mortality reminds us to cherish each special day. By Etsuko Yasunaga
“HOW many summers do you have left? Not just ordinary ones but really good summers?” If someone asks you, what is your answer? The answer for most of us is: we don’t know. However here is what we all know: we don’t have infinite time. Our breaths are numbered. If I stay healthy and active, and remain free from terminal illnesses, maybe I have 20 or 25.
I continue to enjoy my daily swim most days in the ocean. The water is still warm and I only wear bathers now. Early days when I took up swimming, I chose the middle of the day or the afternoon when the sun was shining. I only managed 100 metres which took a long time to complete. As I became more comfortable in the water I doubled the distance to 200 then soon increased to 300 metres. My accumulated monthly swim distance is over 10,000 metres for six months since September last year. Nowadays I prefer a morning swim, the earlier the better. The daily swim has become such an important ritual for me that I feel my day can’t start without the splash of pure joy.
“HOW many summers do you have left? Not just ordinary ones but really good summers?” If someone asks you, what is your answer? The answer for most of us is: we don’t know. However here is what we all know: we don’t have infinite time. Our breaths are numbered. If I stay healthy and active, and remain free from terminal illnesses, maybe I have 20 or 25.
I continue to enjoy my daily swim most days in the ocean. The water is still warm and I only wear bathers now. Early days when I took up swimming, I chose the middle of the day or the afternoon when the sun was shining. I only managed 100 metres which took a long time to complete. As I became more comfortable in the water I doubled the distance to 200 then soon increased to 300 metres. My accumulated monthly swim distance is over 10,000 metres for six months since September last year. Nowadays I prefer a morning swim, the earlier the better. The daily swim has become such an important ritual for me that I feel my day can’t start without the splash of pure joy.
Being in the water is undeniably freeing. At the moment the water is so soft, I feel I’m being cradled and caressed by the ocean. The buoyancy that lifts me, the sensation of weightlessness and letting go of my resistance - all contribute to create a true sense of freedom. In the water I’m free from earthly constraints. Gravity loses its grip and I become a fluid-like being. Every stroke through the water carries away any worries, my breaths sync with the rhythm of waves, and my heart connects with the direction of the current. For a moment, I am part of something vast, significant and ancient. My eyes at the surface of the water, I greet the golden morning sun. I feel alive and so happy to be alive. Nothing can beat that glorious feeling. I come out of the water after 300 metres. I can see Eagles Nest in the far distance as I walk back towards where I left my belongings. Every day I wade in for tranquillity and serenity, and come out reawakened as a new woman. It’s certainly the best way to start my day.
The first of 20 good summers left in my life is nearly gone. I’m content to say I made the most of every day. I continue to seize the opportunities. I have learned about myself and have grown. I enjoyed good health and had only a few off-colour days during this summer. Even on those days, being in the water restored me very quickly. My home Inverloch and surrounds on the Bass Coast provides me with many beautiful swimming beaches with crystal clear water. After unpromising spring weather, we are having a long spell of glorious summer days. Thanks to my daily swim it has been a really good season - a good summer of invigoration and rejuvenation. I know the best is yet to come.
How many summers do you have left to live? If this question got you thinking and even jolted you a bit, that’s good. At least this notion keeps us from wasting the precious time we have left. It’s so easy to let time drift by. Time keeps ticking on every moment and we can’t stop it. Whilst time marches on and it waits for no one, there is enough of it to live a meaningful life if we use it wisely. Becoming conscious of how much time we have left certainly brings insight into our priorities and the core values we place on our lives. It’s a gentle reminder to cherish the present in any way you can, make meaningful choices and appreciate every experience we encounter. Tomorrow is not promised for anyone.
How many summers do you have left to live? If this question got you thinking and even jolted you a bit, that’s good. At least this notion keeps us from wasting the precious time we have left. It’s so easy to let time drift by. Time keeps ticking on every moment and we can’t stop it. Whilst time marches on and it waits for no one, there is enough of it to live a meaningful life if we use it wisely. Becoming conscious of how much time we have left certainly brings insight into our priorities and the core values we place on our lives. It’s a gentle reminder to cherish the present in any way you can, make meaningful choices and appreciate every experience we encounter. Tomorrow is not promised for anyone.