What do you appreciate more as you get older?

My momma.

Me too, things that affect the senses, especially beautiful scenery and the warm sun. But also beautiful music that fills a room, watching nature, feeling very comfortable with soft fabrics touching my skin.

I’ve always been a very aware type, but yes, the sensuality of nature blossoms more and more vibrantly as a pointer to truth. The truth that we ( everyone/everything ) is one.
Of one design evolved from one source and the miracle of consciousness is mind blowing.
Really how amazing to just be. :-)

Absurdity.

Freedom.

literature
food (as in real food!)

Oh, and absence of pain, feeling healthy, or relatively so.

People who are open to new experiences.

It seems as we get older folks have a tendency to have more definite preferences that they’re set in. They’re not as willing to explore and try new activities, meet new people, venture out without a plan. It used to be the only way and now it seems rare.

Sleep, peace and quiet, and the absence of pain.
Dangit @JLeslie, didn’t see your post until I hit “Answer”.

@funkdaddy I think in some ways what you say is true, but in others not. The older people I know love to travel, try new foods, meet people from different cultures, learn new information, new crafts, new hobbies. They do many many social things. They are more set in their schedules I would say, and are a little more rigid in wanting to do only what they want to do. I figure they did stuff for others for many years, worked, took care of their children, cooked, clean, and they are done doing a lot of stuff for others.

@Trillian We can have the same answer. :). I have listed absence of pain for years all over fluther; and, appreciating things that utilize the senses. Your answer, peace and quiet, the quiet is a particular favorite of my husband. He often points out to me when there is dead silence. Hahahaha. He loves it. Middle of winter he will say, “J, J, listen…nothing…complete silence.” and then he smiles. I tell him the same thing almost evry time, “yeah, you love when everything is either dead or has flown south.”

A good night’s sleep and pampering.

My parents, hallucinogenic drugs, my education opportunity and my access to natural resources.

I wish I would have appreciated my eyesight more when I was younger. I rarely wore sun glasses throughout my life and now at only 51 I have the beginning of catteracts. Not bad enough to do anything about them yet, but bad enough to be irritating.

I appreciate more now, that I was able to work, take care of the kids, cook for the whole week on the weekends, have a social life, take dance classes, sing in a chorale, etc. and not think anything of it. The amount of energy that took is beyond my imagining now. I look at mothers in their 20’ s and 30’s and am envious of their ability to do that. It was a great time!

Trustworthiness, loyalty, honesty, perseverance, courage… the classic virtues.

I appreciate the ability to learn from my mistakes, and I appreciate the health that I do have (although that isn’t to say I don’t have regrets; if I could go back, I would’ve taken better care of myself, and not wrecked myself so much).

I also appreciate the random good luck I had to be born where I was; too often I have to remind myself that for all my woes, most of my worries are, as a friend puts it, “first world problems.”

Real people who have not given up on living, but are still growing.

I’m only 26, but I’m liking this whole freedom and independence thing.

Attending formal events wearing the same sweatpants that I sleep in.

Simply being alive ...and sharing the journey with someone whom I cherish.

The bite radius of a great white & the adhesive properties of Wrigleys.

Good health.
No drama.

Turbo Tax.
Olives.

I’m definitely with @JLeslie and @Trillian on the ‘absence of pain’ thing. That is a joy to experience every now and again! Silence and alone time are up there, too.

Silence.

When I was younger, the stereo went on the minute I walked into the house. Now, never. Only in the car.

Oh year, silence is huge. I was being levitated by someones bass in a car next to me the other day for about 2 minutes in traffic, it made me feel violent. lol