The Spectacular Fourth Quarter

75 - 100

With the Superbowl today in the States, many, certainly not all, eyes and ears have been taking in every word of previews, projections, rumors, conspiracy theories, wonderings, and so much more.

This past week a friend from my first quarter of life turned 75. His birthday, the number 75, along with the Super Bowl, got me thinking about the “quarters” of my life.

First quarter, second quarter, third quarter and now the fourth quarter.

The next and last 25 yards

This morning, the musing about the fourth quarter of my life hit home. Technically, I entered it at the beginning of the year that takes me to 75 because the new number and celebration come at the end of each year. I am on the field in the fourth quarter as I type.

And ready. More ready, perhaps than the other three quarters of my life.

By the way, I am not thinking about this in terms of winning or losing.

It is about how I play this quarter, what drives me forward and what sometimes pushes me back or sacks me and also how I rest, reflect, refuel, and choose resilience.

While technically 15 minutes, a football quarter often stretches to considerably more with all that happens besides the actual plays – time outs, repositioning, penalties called, etc.

It is a quarter that often has nail-biting moments, feels like a rollercoaster of emotions, contains huge successful plays or yardage lost, progress pushed back, interceptions, and breath being taken away, sometimes literally for the players and emotionally for the fans.

It is the quarter that brings the game to conclusion.

I believe it can also be a quarter when players give everything they have, not sitting back even if it feels hopeless.

(photo courtesy of Tom Ford and Unsplash)

Is there such a thing as wisdom plays?

I am thinking about, with “25 yards” ahead of me, how I want to negotiate them before crossing into the metaphorical end zone, crossing well, perhaps my best quarter yet.

I don’t have my plays all in place yet. This is a new metaphor for me, but I am going to spend time with this view of a field, knowing that one key factor between now and getting to the end zone is staying strong mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Too many assumptions about this quarter of life portray giving up, not being agile enough or declining in mental and intellectual capacities.

Those who have played the fourth quarter before me

Fortunately, not taking it for granted, I have had a number of role models in my life who have defied those assumptions and have shown me what a stellar fourth quarter looks like.

They have already crossed into the end zone having lived as fully as possible and modeled “running” into the end zone with energy, joy, and generosity of spirit and of heart. They modeled ways of being along the last 25 yards that they beautifully passed to me with hope and the intention that I catch them.

I have caught many and have certainly fumbled a few.

They gave me the example and knowledge that challenges, certainly, will come along, perhaps taking me out of the game as I want to pay it for a while. The fourth quarter isn’t necessarily all smooth running. Like the game, it can be a rollercoaster.

Most of all, I have watched their “plays” in a way that inspires me to want to continue to live their pattern of impeccable sportsmanship that uplifts, sustains, nourishes, and helps shape how all of us in this fourth quarter of life play the game.

I am not on the field alone. I am in the company of millions who relish this time of life and will play with perhaps more vibrancy than ever before.

Let the fourth quarter begin!

Join in and tell me and this growing community at the well of today

Mary Oliver, in one of her poems, asks what we want to do with this one precious life. For those of you in the fourth quarter of it and those who think about it well in advance, how would you like to play?

I look forward to connecting via our wells of today.