Me: New lines, oh look, new lines, new wrinkles! I don’t remember seeing those before? Or have they always been there? My face is a bit thinner? Skin a bit darker? How did that happen? When did that happen? Oh look, now that’s a line I didn’t even know possible to appear! Of all places. There! Weird. How? When? How long has it been? Whoa, decades. Only decades? And all this happens? Wow! Amazing! Since when? Today? Not sure.

Body: Oh you’ve noticed alright. Your shell is getting uncomfortable, eh? Yes, oh yes, pamper me. A new balm, a miracle cream, whatever you like. It feels good. I’m energised. But, you’ll have to do more than that. I’m thirsty again. Ah, let me just slow down. Yes, that’s right. I don’t feel like stretching, not elastic anymore. Let me just rest a bit. You go ahead and pamper me all you like. Oh, yeah. That’s right. I’m not bothered about regenerating, no matter how hard you try. But go ahead, pamper me.

Me: Oh don’t get me wrong Body. I like your new look. I like those new lines, those new wrinkles. You carried me a long time, you pampered me too. I might not have always liked you but that’s my problem. I didn’t truly understand or appreciate you. For that I’m sorry. But to be fair, there were also times when you embarrassed me, or when I was embarrassed by you. You just wouldn’t behave, would you? But that’s OK now, you’ve also had your adventures.

Body: Yes, I did embarrass you, didn’t I! Ha! That was funny, wasn’t it? You forgot then that I didn’t play by your rules. I was stubborn and free and I had my shape and mind. Not even you could do anything about that. But that was only when we were getting to know each other. I feel I know you much better now, and I accept you. Do you accept me?

Me: Oh I more than accept you! I love you! I wouldn’t have it any other way. You taught me a lot about me. Not all were happy lessons, but that’s OK. I guess that was your job? To tease me?

Body: Well, yes and no. I did want to tease you, only after I saw how worked up you were when I refused to change. But, honestly, my main motive was to explore life, mine and yours. Mine was slow and repetitive and boring and rather linear. Yours was wild and random and crazy, and I was jealous. But I couldn’t keep up. Even now, I can’t keep up. You’re still as wild and crazy, if not wilder and crazier! How do you do it? I try to get my cells to catch up, but they simply won’t do it.

Me: Oh dear Body, you can’t rely on cells to be wild and crazy! But I see what you mean. I have more than cells. I am more than cells. My life is not just within you. It’s also around you, like a halo of fire. Flames randomly flare up in all directions expanding beyond you, fuelled by the push and pull of the rest of universe. Endless power. That’s why I never fade, even when you seem to slow down.

Body: Oh, so we’re connected, yet not connected? That makes sense. But then you sometimes seemed to worry too much about me and what I did, to the extent that I thought I contained you! Isn’t it me that feeds that halo? Or does the halo feed me? Or both? Maybe it’s both. Hold on a sec, yes! It is both. We are one, aren’t we? But only one way is perceivable to my senses. You reside at different levels. And that’s where the misunderstanding and animosity between us sometimes comes from, right? Our universes have different rules. And maybe sometimes we can only interpret each other’s existence and shape and behaviour using the wrong set of rules! Wow. How long have you known? Do you still love me?

Me: Oh not long dear Body. But yes, you’re absolutely right. Different existence, but co-existence. You have your own ways, and we both know where your ways will ultimately lead you (at least in this universe). I have my own ways that may not make any sense to you, and to be honest I don’t (and neither do you) know where that will ultimately lead me. But, I’m happy to share this co-existence with you. I can’t think of any other Body I’d rather share it with, despite all your visible or hidden deficiencies. Yes I love you, always, even when I say I don’t.

Body: Oh that’s nice! Believe it or not, I love you too, despite the pain I cause you sometimes. My existence makes that sometimes unavoidable. Other times, I just want to peeve and punish you for not taking care of me, or not paying enough attention to my needs and well-being. I do hope you’re not mad at me for showing my aging signs. I hope you’re not ashamed of how I’ve become. I honestly didn’t have much choice. Well, maybe a little, but not much.

Me: Oh I’m not mad at you, and not ashamed of you at all. I’m proud to know you and carry you, and be carried by you. You’ve taught me so many things about life, yours and mine, and how we can live together. I now understand that what I think about you, aging Body, is universal, and shouldn’t be a burden to hide. It is human to observe the changes, want to reverse them, and then look past them to the new ‘way’ they enable; a new life that holds within it the very same soul that once came to the world; fresh, fragile, always learning, and never forgetting to mess up. A life that deserves a truthful and loving projection; a confidence that it doesn’t need to be anything, absolutely anything, but itself.

Body and Me embraced for a moment. Body might have shed a happy tear, and Me might have expelled a long dancing flame.

Have You embraced your Body yet?