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The Sacred Meaning of Sixty
Last Friday, I crossed a threshold—I turned sixty. There's something about round numbers that make us pause and take inventory. They seem to carry an invisible energy, a spiritual punctuation mark saying, Stop for a moment. Take this in.
In numerology, sixty represents harmony, family, and responsibility. It's a number that carries both the wisdom of experience and the tenderness of nurturing love. It's as if Spirit whispers, “You've learned enough now to hold others with grace.” That resonates deeply with me. Because while birthdays often tempt us to count candles or wrinkles, they're really invitations to count blessings, and I have many.
Sixty is not a finish line; it's a sacred turning point. It's the age when you start recognizing that what truly matters has less to do with what you've done and more to do with who you've become. The striving gives way to savoring. The proving gives way to presence. And the need to be everything to everyone softens into a simple knowing: I am enough.
This week's Daily Word, “Remembrance,” feels perfectly timed with this reflection. It reminds us that memory is a spiritual practice. When we remember, we reconnect, with those who came before us, with the love that shaped us, and with the Divine life that continues through us. It says, “I honor my dear ones who have passed. I send love and light to those who have enriched my life.”
That passage moves me. Because at sixty, you can't help but carry a heart full of memories, of those who've journeyed alongside you, taught you, challenged you, or loved you into becoming who you are. Some are still here in body; others live in the quiet chambers of the heart. But each one remains part of the great chorus that sings our soul's song.
And that brings me to this Sunday at Unity of Louisville. While I won't be in the pulpit this week, our beloved Rev. Dr. Gerry Boylan will be sharing a message titled “Remember…Who You Are.” What a powerful phrase. It echoes the truth that remembrance isn't only about the past, it's also about remembering ourselves to the divine wholeness that never left us. I'm certain Gerry will offer wisdom that helps each of us anchor more deeply in that sacred identity.
So as I mark my own milestone, I find myself remembering, not only loved ones, but also the younger versions of myself: the dreamer, the struggler, the minister learning how to lead with love, the son learning how to care for ageing parents, the friend learning how to show up authentically, glitter and all. Each of those Bobbys still lives within me, and each deserves gratitude.
Maybe that's the real gift of remembrance, it's not nostalgia; it's integration. It's realizing that nothing precious is ever lost. Love doesn't end. Wisdom doesn't expire. Spirit doesn't age. It simply deepens, revealing new layers of beauty we couldn't have understood before.
As I step into this new decade, I'm choosing to see sixty not as a slowing down, but as a settling in. A time to remember what truly matters: to love fully, laugh often, and live with open hands. To trust that every year, every person, every moment—joyful or painful—has been a holy teacher.
So this week, I invite you to join me in the spiritual art of remembrance. Light a candle for someone who shaped you. Whisper a thank-you to an ancestor. Or simply pause and remember your own divine essence—pure, radiant, and whole.
Because in the end, remembrance isn't about looking back; it's about awakening to the eternal Truth alive in us right now.
And that Truth says: You are loved. You are enough. And you are, in every way, a blessing.
Much love, Rev. Bobby
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