The Circle of Life

I was singing the theme song of Lion King, The Circle of Life, when it occurred to me. There are so many parallels between being born and old age.

As babies we come in to the earth with pain. Moms labor for hours to birth us.

 

At the end of life, there is often pain, as well.

Babies are born puckered, wrinkled and need some cleaning up.

As we age, we also pucker, wrinkle, and need a little sprucing up.

If they don’t nap, both get cranky.

Music and singing bring joy to both. They both dance like no one is watching. This experience will make you laugh, and possibly cry.

Both need prunes at times and have to avoid gassy foods.

Both get up at the crack of dawn. Four a.m. is the usual for elders. Some sleep in until five a.m. Babies sometime are awake at one, three and five!

There is nothing as cute as a toothless smile on a baby. Their laugh is infectious. The same for an elder.

So no teeth, drool, no hair, need a bib to eat…………..see what I mean?

Babies take tumbles and so do the elders.

Babies learn to walk in a walker…and then a different walker keeps elders upright.

Babies need constant attention. It’s often the same with elders.

Both have soft skin. Elders have fragile skin, but it is very soft, almost like a baby’s behind.

Toddlers will speak out at random and use unacceptable words.

“Damn” in a common favorite. “Oh shit” is another. They don’t have mute buttons.  My older friends don’t have mute buttons either.

Both are very emotional. Their feelings get hurt easily. It will take an hour to recover with a special treat and a hug. To make up must also say you are sorry; the sooner the better!

They both like to dress themselves and they don’t always match.

Sometimes both of them are stinky.  Other times they smell like baby powder.

Both love candy and sweets.

Teething: Toddlers have teeth growing in. Elders sometimes have lost their teeth. They just plunk in a set of dentures. Voila! Teeth!

They are both equally sweet when they are asleep.

Both will get on your nerves until you want to join a circus to get out of town.

Small children never forget ANYTHING. Be careful what you promise.

Elders will often forget conversations.

“I put coffee on the shopping list, Gran.”

“OK, dear. Don’t forget we need coffee.”

“I put it on the list already.”

“We need toilet tissue and coffee too.”

“OK. I’ll add toilet paper.”

“You know what else we need? Coffee!”

Do not come home without the coffee!!

Tubby time is fun!!! Kids love to play in the tub. They hate the idea until you finally get them in there and then they refuse to get out. Their lips will turn blue and they will wrinkle up like a Pug.

Elders might start the water running to fill the tub and then get distracted. They might lay down like my grandmother did…and she flooded the house.

Neither can be left at home alone.

Repetition is common. The elder have a set way of doing things. My father-in-law used to make my husband park in the exact same parking spot at the food store. If it was taken, they drove around until it was vacated.

Kids can play the same game fifteen times and act as if it’s brand new. They also cheat.

So it seems quite apparent to me that we come full circle. We start toothless, innocent, fragile, eating soft foods and we leave the world the same.

We come into the world with people waiting anxiously for our arrival. They can’t wait to hold us and love us. And hopefully we leave with people holding us and loving us as we leave as we cross over.

My advice is to enjoy each and every stage of your life. I’ve only given you the beginning and the end.

There is so much more in between.