WHAT IS THE GRAND FACTOR?

CHAPTER ONE: WHAT IS THE GRAND FACTOR

Surprise!  

Getting Older is Not All Bad!  In fact, parts of it are pretty darn good!

Maybe you don’t move as nimbly as you used to?  And maybe you have a lot of new friends with names that end in "ITIS" or "OSIS".  Maybe you have suddenly discovered parts you never thought much about, and the maladies they are subject to?  

But I'll bet you ALSO have more Joy in your life!  Some of this is brought on by the ability to afford work saving tools, buttons, gadgets, and appliances to help you get your work done faster and easier than ever before!  This also applies to gadgets that help you remember things and manage useful information like phone numbers, web sites, appointments, and photo albums.  God knows it's easier to remember things when you have a personal digital assistant (PSA).    

You may have more PLAY TIME too.  My wife and I got a hot tub this Thanksgiving.  I have been in it almost nightly for the last two months.  The joy of weightlessness and the time spent contemplating clouds, stars, and moon phases are a pure luxury.  It's far better than anything I ever imagined as far as hot tubs go.  Can you picture a 30 something parent of 2.5 children finding time to hit the hot tub every night?  Hardly!

As you can see, BECOMING GRAND has its benefits!     

Perhaps you LAUGH MORE when spending time with Grandchildren?  Perhaps you CORRECT children and even colleagues LESS? Perhaps you GARDEN MORE and RUN LESS.  Do you grow PRIZE DAHLIAS or Raise DISCUS FISH instead of survive Hamsters and PUPPIES?  Maybe you train a BONSAI into a graceful form, study some NEW RELIGION, or LISTEN TO MUSIC more than you have for the last 20 or so child-rearing or career oriented years?  

For Some, the MONEY is better now.  And the HORIZONS are BIGGER.  For some - anyway.  The economy of the GREAT RECESSION did some mean things to retirement plans - mine included.  More than impact the money, it impacted expectations.  I will probably work 10 more years than my parents did.  It may be 20 or 30 more years.  In some ways, Labor Lost.  Middle Management Lost.  And the Middle Class Lost.  But WE ARE NOT DONE YET!

Some of the lessons were hard.  But in other ways, we are richer for our pain.  The Lessons are still being processed, but parts of this life stage are better than ever.  Even if cash flow is not huge, having the kids gone doing their own thing leaves more for use to spend on things we enjoy.   

There are more tools available to manage the tasks and details of our lives.  We have more skills in things like patience, perseverance, relationships, and generosity.  We now know the meaning of Love.  There is a deeper appreciation for nature, serendipity, grace, forgiveness.  There is a quieter wisdom.  Still waters run deep!    

There is an easiness at times that lets you enjoy a sunrise, sunset, birdsong, or sunny day more than you have ever done so at any other time in your life. 

We are NOT our parents. We did not do Adolescence, or “30 Something” in any way remotely resembling the way our parents did.  We don’t fit demographic or lifestyle stereotypes - but maybe we do still like classic rock and blue jeans ; )

This then is the Grand Factor.  We have money to spend if we want to.  And WE ARE HAVING THE TIME OF OUR LIVES!