I have sailed and motored along the eastern coast and waterways of the USA many times.  Ship yards with old rusting hulks sitting in the water and in the yard are a common sight.

From afar one could consider these hulks an eyesore.  But get closer and you can see the distinguished  character etched through time on the hull.

A natural process

The natural process of weathering and the trauma of hard work shapes the material.  Each dent, crack or mark tells a story in the life of this ship.  Looking at it from this lens, the artistic expression becomes a rich one.

As I write this I can see the parallel with this rusting hull and my own ageing and that of my parents.  These marks of the ageing process that we so disdain can be the beauty of a life well lived if we let them.  I know, this is much easier said than done!

In the meantime we can let the artistic beauty of the old, the rusting, the weathered, and the tarnished  wash over us and keep us grounded.