Gain and Loss

From the Cosmic Tarot, the Chariot; from the L'Oeil de Lotus, Loss:

Those who are truly wise will remain unmoved by feelings of happiness and suffering, fame and disgrace, praise and blame, gain and loss.

—Buddha

This fellow, with his beard blowing in the wind, is making good time. But the faster we go, the less control we have, and the less we notice along the way. I'm celebrating my birthday today (my Medicare and Social Security debut, as my mother called it). At this point, I've lived more life than I have life left. So, while I want to keep moving and progressing, I don't want to do it at top speed. I want to appreciate the small joys and wonders that busyness didn't allow me to notice. Loss - a magpie with someone's piece of jewelry - is a reminder that aging does take some things and people away from us. Yet it can also bring gains in wisdom, if we keep our minds open, attentive and curious.