A new term that circulates these days for men and women "of a certain age" is that we are in our "third act".  The expression reminds those of us who are in that category that there is life beyond work, beyond parenting, and beyond societal expectations.  But what if we are actually not living in our third act but rather writing our epilogue - where questions long buried await discovery, old landscapes come into view, and a search for meaning sharpens and intensifies.

 

My life right is populated by questions that shift and swirl in a world changing at warp speed. During this pandemic time when nearly all of my "labels" have been stripped away, I have come to realize that my process of asking questions IS the answer. 

 

Which brings me to this new time in my journey on planet earth:  the epilogue. I realized that I did not need a "third act": two were more than enough.  What I needed was to sift through my life's experiences guided by this question: 

 

What if meaning is found not in searching the horizon but in looking backward to seek the lessons learned along the trail?  

 

I invite you to look backward with me in this first blog and the ones to come.  Perhaps you will find something there to remind you to speak freely of your own stars as you begin to discover your  "optional final chapter".