Midlife Crisis, Anyone?

Midlife crisis... boredom, discontent, questions, confusion, marked sometimes by irrational behaviours and decisions. Sometimes this crisis is brought about by the mundane of our lives. Midlife crisis was first identified by Carl Jung, one of the founding fathers of Analytical Psychology.

Growing up, I used to hear 'stories' about so and so dumping his/her family and running off with some (wo)man, or so-and-so becoming a cynic, etc, etc. Later, psycho studies at uni gave 'a more plausible meaning' to the many stories I used to hear in my younger days.... they call it midlife crisis!

We go through changes in midlife... more graying hair, the blurring of our 'close-up' vision... generally one can feel the subtle downhill slide of one's physical abilities. I am feeling that too. Add that to the pressures of midlife... jobs, mortgages, parenting, desires vs responsibilities... I supposed it can also be one bewildering time! It is also the busiest time of one's life... if my own life is anything to go by. Very often I wish there are more than 24 hours in a day so that I can do everything that I want to do.

I guess one does go through some sort of turbulence. You can label it crisis, questioning, boredom, etc, etc time but I supposed being at midlife would place many of us squarely in the 'crisis zone'. Something akin to those juvenile years again. Only this time, you are supposed to be more in control but for some it's not to be.... or you could just be too busy to realize.

Midlife for a marriage is supposed to be a difficult time too. More commitments, stress and parenting issues we have to deal with. And in the midst of it, couples sometimes drift apart. You are more familiar yet more impatient with each other. But I think if we can move beyond that, it can also be a time of discovery. Like wine, marriage can actually get better with age! 8)

I am enjoying my life with my Other Half more now than before... we seem to communicate better and I like the openness that we share. There's a better understanding.. we work well together in many sense. We do a lot many things together and it goes beyond the family... I like the way we've been able to step into each other's shoes quite easily. It's a nice feeling.

Both of us work... it adds stress to a growing family cos often there seems so little time for so many things we want to do. Weekends never seem to last as long as we'd like them to. It can be quite demanding but still we can squeeze in doing things together. We've done 2 in recent days... working together to set up a website for the church and designing, printing and making wedding cards for a wedding.... it's nice to be able to work on something together and also laugh together.

Those dreamy days not too long ago... the dreams that brought two lives together. We've grayed, grown older, added more pounds.. and supposed to be entering a 'crisis period' of our lives. But nah! I'd like to think of my midlife still as an adventure... not one of boredom. That I can still feel the passion for the important people and causes in my life. That I am still building my dreams and life with my Other Half, and together; heading towards eternity with the same hope that I've always had. My sense of awe at new discoveries and feelings... my life still a constant moving ahead for the better. And despite the inevitable limitations, I'd still be creating new horizons and limits for myself (and Other Half). So midlife is not too bad of life's adventure where I am concerned.... and no more a crisis than life is to everyone of us regardless of which stage we're in. My ramblings for today...