Poems and Life Lessons: “The Twilight of your Life”

I recently received some snail mail from a friend and felt compelled to share it with you all. My friend Sara just started an account Instagram called @postcardpoetryclub and I could not love what she is doing there more. For $1, Sara will write you a personalized, handwritten poem on a vintage postcard and send it to you in the mail. I asked her for a travel-themed poem and this is what she came up with for me…

“When your bones begin to creak and you find yourself in the twilight of your life, still, you will have the magic of folding back the pages of the map and tracing the lines on the face of the Earth where your feet have walked. Still, you can say, ‘I have been there.’”

I absolutely love what Sara wrote here and it really resonated with me. Travel is such a passion of mine and I know it is something that will be with me for the rest of my life. The older I get, the more I realize the importance of putting experiences ahead of things.

I don’t need much and prefer to spend time with people I love doing the things we love together. That’s the way I want to spend my life. I love the idea of looking back one day and remembering all the places I’ve been lucky enough to travel to and the people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting along the way. I’ll remember everything with fondness and be so happy knowing I did the things I really wanted to in life.

This sentiment leads me to an important question though…How do you want to spend your life? What things will you remember when you’re old and gray? Do you want to travel more but don’t? Do you have a business idea that you haven’t yet gotten the nerve to start? Do you want to help others in need, but you don’t know where to start?

Whatever your situation may be, there is always a way to make your dreams a reality. If you want to travel, start saving now. If you dream of starting a blog, just do it! Not sure about your business plans? Ask for some guidance from someone you trust. Just start today!

A good friend of mine always says, STOP WAITING AND START LIVING! You won’t regret the chances you take but you will regret the things you wanted to do but never did. Believe me, that’s how I have been living for most of my adult life and it can still be a struggle at times.

For me, starting a blog and traveling more were things I had desired for a long time but I didn’t know how to make it happen. In reality, I had read just about every “How to start a blog” post on Pinterest and knew all the steps I needed to take, but I let fear keep me from starting years ago.

I finally found my confidence and my voice last summer on a trip to Portugal, and I know that I will never turn back. If my blog never becomes anything more than something only my mom reads it’s okay because this whole process has helped me to grow and learn so much.

It’s taught me that we need to take chances in life. We need to push ourselves to do more and to be the best we can be. I know that this is easier said than done, but if you need a little push then here it is. JUST GO FOR IT, FRIEND! You’ve got this! Reach out to me via email or Instagram DM if you need any more encouragement. I believe in you and I’m here for you.

I am proud of my friend, Sara for putting her beautiful writing out there for the world to read. It takes a lot of bravery to share your heart with people. I am proud of you too, whoever you are because I know you’re going to do great things in this life.

So when you’re “in the twilight of your life,” what do you want your magic to be?

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy reading How Travel Hacking Saved My Marriage or Packing Tips From A Recovering Over Packer.