Wisdom Can't be Bought

We've all heard the saying "like a fine wine", as we work feverishly to describe and convince ourselves that aging is beautiful and more majestic than youth. Some of us go kicking and screaming into middle age and then our golden years, determined to deny the inevitable.  Some of us go solemnly, surrendering all power and hope, full of dread and gloom, but resolved to accept whatever it is we are destined to become. And then there are those who age gracefully without skipping a beat. We glide through each year, knowing that challenges lie ahead, just as they have in the past, but with each new challenge comes a new found enlightenment. Wisdom is our treasure and we are ever the treasure hunters seeking pirates gold.

I want to be graceful as I go.  I appreciate each day I have, and I look for the pearls, and gold and diamonds all around me. But I also look for the coal, yet to be pressed and forged into that diamond. That coal is transformed through trial.

Wisdom is the only thing of worth we have which cannot be bought or sold in a retail establishment. It will never be a commodity of capital or commercial equity. We are not born with it. We do not inherit it genetically, or bequeath it in our will to those we leave behind when we die.

Wisdom cannot be stolen, because once acquired it weaves itself into the very fabric of our DNA, who we are, what we do, how we think. It becomes a part of us, Permanently!  Wisdom cannot be taught in a university, through lectures, and notes and textbooks. It's not academic knowledge, facts, or figures. Wisdom is not the same as intelligence it is deeper, more intuitive, more primal.  Wisdom is instinctual, it is epiphany, it is enlightenment, and it is personal and unique to each person.

Wisdom is hard earned, through blood sweat and tears.  It is forged in the battle of fire and challenge, heartbreak and loneliness. Wisdom comes from great pain, and loss, but it is strength and courage and life giving. Wisdom is hard earned and deserves respect and honor and gratitude. You cannot gain wisdom without ever facing adversity. 

As I age, ever so gracefully, I have earned and fought and gained wisdom along the way.  I hope I never stop.  I enjoy the learning, I enjoy knowing that life is ever evolving and that I haven't finished growing yet. I wear my wisdom silently under my skin, like a badge of honor, willing to share with anyone who needs or wants it.

I do age like a fine wine, or a gourmet cheese, or a masterful piece of artwork. More valuable each day. I look back from where I've come and I'm grateful. I am happy with where I am today. And I await with childlike wonderment for what tomorrow brings.