As we graduate through the many plateaus of life, we finally arrive at what is referred to as “the golden years.”

Yes, those are the years when retirement arrives and life is such a joy; a time that gives us a chance to keep up with family matters and extreme enjoyment; the real beauty of life.

Sigh.

No one seems to have told us that it also is the time of aches and pains, hearing aids, knee and hip replacements, cataract surgeries, loss of hair and in some cases, loss of memory and even more — including root canals!

But even after all of the above, it still can be golden even if some of the gold has been somewhat tarnished and recycled into tinfoil. You see life still can be enjoyed, especially when there is no sign of the alternative, if you know what I mean. The freedom, alone, that we have seems to compensate for all of those aches and pains and even heartburn to boot!

That freedom of choosing when to retire for the evening and the time you arise in the morning is so much different than years earlier when you were suddenly awakened by an alarm clock, and the day’s work called out for a new day and new problems at the good old work place.

Now every day seems like it is Saturday. No over-the-hump days or Blue Mondays or Wednesdays. So we really have a lot to be thankful for as we sit on our back deck sipping on a brew of some sort while watching squirrels playfully enjoying their day as well. Life is great!

We can now keep up with family and even more pleasantries, including great-grandchildren. (Am I really that old?)

Those of us who have reached that last plateau can really be thankful for our families and the health that we do have. We are not in our 20s, 30s or even our 40s or beyond, but still have that spark for life and can hardly wait for the next day.

You see, regardless of age, the pleasantries of life are still there. My dear dog Molly greets me in the morning not knowing what adventures we will be getting into during the day. Perhaps something totally new.

We even sometimes dwell on the past while wishing that some of our decisions would have been different, but so what? A lot of our decisions were right on, too.

I do have a decision to make and that is whether to get surgery on my shoulder. I sometimes feel that if I can endure the pain without the surgery and not be laid up for two or more months, that would be the way to go. What would you do? (It does hurt.)

We must always remember that we go through life just one time and the more that we enjoy it, the better. Let’s go on vacation, like now!

Being out of debt and your home paid for makes our golden years even brighter and happier.

Love has its big part in this whole big shebang of life as well. Having a family that has done the right things in life and the respect you have for them and vice versa means a lot. True love.

It all seems to come down to what makes you happy in these final golden years. Maybe a part-time job where you can explore your capabilities and add a little cash in your pocket will ease any depression that you may have.

Early on in this piece, I mentioned some negatives of the golden years of aches and pains and surgeries. Here’s hoping that your golden years stay free of pain.

Contact Whited at olebert1@aol.com