Do you remember the times when you woke up raring to go, when your enthusiasm for life seemed limitless? Do you remember when you couldn’t wait to see what would happen in your day? Can you summon up any of that energy now?

Our days are still whatever we make of them. If we want creative endeavors and imaginative experiences, we can have them. If we want action, or even inaction, we can have that. But we might have to work harder to do it as grow older.

First we have to know what we want. We have to know how we want our lives to unfold.

We must have a vision of ourselves being happy, healthy, and stimulated. And, whether that is through activity or passivity, is up to you. I need social interaction. I love to be involved in things. But my husband, Danny, does not like crowds, and doesn’t feel antsy if there is nothing to do. I, on the other hand, can go nuts and drive him batty in the process. So I need to funnel that energy into something positive and active, like exercising!

Life is an adventure. Don’t you ever give up on it. Work up your passion for what you love. I love my husband, even though he’s very different from me. I love our child and her child. And even though we can’t see them as much as we would like, I feel blessed because they are now happy, and healthy, and they understand the all-encompassing power of love.

They know that human beings are meant to enjoy this life. Our daughter is actually trying to bring our granddaughter up knowing that she is what she thinks. And that’s a lot better than thinking you are what you eat, as was the thinking of my ancient times!

And, speaking of how old we’ve somehow gotten, we have to keep moving because a body in motion tends to stay in motion, while a body at rest tends to stay at rest. And we must keep our enthusiasm alive. We must allow ourselves to get excited to see the stars in the night sky or a baby bird in the spring.

We must remember how it felt to be a child, when the world was magically mysterious, and when we were curious about everything. Can you feel it? Great!

Marcelle Hanemann is a reporter for The Daily News. You can email her at marcelle.hanemann@bogalusadailynews.com or call her at 985-732-2565, ext. 301.