Moses went and spoke these things to all Israel. He said to them: I am now one hundred and twenty years old, I can no longer be active. Moreover, the Lord has said to me, “You shall not go across yonder Jordan.” -Deuteronomy 31:1-2
A few weeks before I turned 60, my first grandchild was born. Like other transformative experiences, it was one I couldn’t begin to understand until I had first-hand experience. I was “over the moon” with gratitude and love upon his arrival, my heart was overflowing. Days later, when I had to leave him and his parents to go back home, I began to think, “How will this story end?” I was moving toward my own third act, pondering retirement and the reality that, in fact, I will not live forever. I thought about this beautiful boy and how he will have his own story that will go on beyond my days. And I wondered just what that will look like. I was blessed to have a strong, smart, and loving grandmother who lived to a ripe old age. She endured many hardships and enjoyed many blessings as well. Like Moses, we don’t get to cross over to Jordan, and we don’t know how the stories will end. But we can do our best to make our own stories meaningful to those who follow.
