24/07/2026
My 90-year-old mum went all philosophical on me yesterday...
She spoke about ageing as though we spend our later years slowly shedding the layers of life.
I loved the image.
It made me think...
Perhaps the first half of life is about gathering.
💫 Gathering friendships.
💫 Experiences.
💫 Achievements.
💫 Beliefs.
💫 Skills.
💫 Opinions.
💫 Responsibilities.
💫 Memories.
We climb and climb, collecting pieces of ourselves as we go.
Then, somewhere along the mountain path—often without realising—we reach the summit.
Not the summit of success.
Just the summit of having.
And then something quietly changes.
Friends move away or pass away.
Children leave home.
We retire.
Our bodies change.
We let go of possessions.
The things that once defined us slowly begin to fall away.
It made me wonder...
Do we ever know when we're standing at the highest point?
The moment when our lives are at their fullest—not because we've "made it", but because we've gathered so much of what life has to offer.
Perhaps we only recognise that summit in hindsight.
The thought didn't make me sad.
Quite the opposite.
It left me feeling deeply grateful.
🙏 Grateful for every friendship.
🙏 Every lesson.
🙏 Every adventure.
🙏 Every season.
Because one day, many of those things will naturally be returned to life.
🤔 Maybe that's not something to fear.
🤔 Maybe it's simply the rhythm of being human.
🤔 Maybe the second half of life isn't about becoming more.
🤔 Maybe it's about discovering who remains when life gently asks us to carry less.