Finding Simple Joy in Midlife Proves to be a Bit Squirrely

(So to speak.)

Jul 25, 2025

My Great-Aunt Beulah

When I was a kid, I used to see my Great-Aunt Beulah watching the birds that came to the feeder on her front porch.

I remember she kept a well-worn bird book beside her chair, using it to identify any little feathered visitors she hadn’t seen before.

But I just didn’t get it.

Why waste time watching birds when there were things to do that were soooo much more fun??

I never asked her about it. Instead, I was far too busy spending as much time outside as possible — catching toad frogs, playing with the dog, swinging toward the sky, pretending to be a detective (or explorer, or EMT or whatever occupation intrigued me that day), playing ball, and any number of other activities that did NOT involve watching birds.

Instead, I would just think to myself, “You do you, Aunt Beulah.” And then I’d move on to my next fun thing.

In addition to bird watching, she also loved gardening. Her thumb wasn’t just green — it was NEON green.

*My Great-Aunt Beulah with a few of her MANY flowers.*

But her tour de force was her needlework.

Give her a crochet needle and a skein of yarn and, I swear, the woman could’ve crocheted a damn three-row minivan.

When I look back now, I realize that my great-aunt was someone who knew how to find joy in the moment.

If she were still with us on this earthly plane, she’d be considered one cool-as- hell cookie. In fact, she’d most certainly have a massive TikTok following.

She was epic.

My Growing Need for Simplicity

I recently turned 60, which is only a decade or so younger than my great-aunt was when I began to notice her bent for bird watching.

Being 60 looks WAY different today than it did back in the 80s. For many of us, the idea of “slowing down” is the LAST thing we’re thinking about. In fact, there’s a growing number of us in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are ramping UP — starting new careers, launching businesses, traveling the world. We're redefining what this stage of life looks like

But somewhere in all of this ramping up, I’ve noticed a growing desire in myself to seek out moments in my day that are quiet.

Simple.

Chatter-free.

Peaceful.

And I’ve found them.

Wanna guess where??

Oh, you’re so smart! You guessed it! Watching birds! And squirrels! And any other little critter that finds its way onto my deck or into my backyard.

(I finally get it, Aunt Beulah!! You were right!! This is AWESOME!!!)

In fact, for my birthday, I bought myself a “smart” bird feeder. (I actually call it my “smart” bird and squirrel feeder. But that’s neither here nor there.)

And it has brought me SO MUCH JOY! It sends me notifications on my phone to let me know when a bird or squirrel has arrived at what I now call “The Lashley Diner.”

THIS is what brings me joy these days.

Not a trip to a faraway land.

Not a day at a spa.

Not an expensive toy.

Just a relatively cheap feeder that provides brief moments of respite from the rough and tumble of everyday life.

There's something profound about this shift — this movement toward finding wonder in the small and immediate rather than the grand and distant.

Maybe it's wisdom.

Maybe it's just getting older.

Or maybe it's finally understanding what Great-Aunt Beulah knew all along: that paying attention to the world right in front of us is its own kind of adventure.

How about you?

Are you feeling the need to seek out moments of simplicity during the day?

If so, where are you finding them?

I’d love to hear. But first, I need to go refill the feeder. (Squirrels are QUITE the foodies!)