Birthday Candles and Making Memories

Apr 04, 2023

My childhood may be over, but that doesn't mean playtime is. ~Ron Olson

I celebrated my #62 birthday this past week and can hardly believe it.

Sixty years seems like a long time until you consider how fast ten years go by and all that can happen (and change) in that time.

Since 2013 I’ve lost my parents, ex-husband, a few relatives, and several classmates from high school. I also lost my way for a while after leaving a long-term marriage. It helps to have a plan when making a major life change. Unfortunately, I did not and floundered a bit. At the time, simply ‘getting out’ was the important thing, not the manner in which I did. It was quite a learning curve, but I managed to get back on track. That’s the one thing about struggling through problems: you acquire a lot of insight.

However, it wasn’t all bad. I earned the college degree that had long languished on my bucket list. I gained two wonderful daughters-in-law and three precious grandchildren. I settled into a relationship that offers the respect and security that I didn’t have before.

It’s kind of amazing how much has changed in only a decade. Not just in our personal lives but in the world at large. We’re living in a technological revolution that seems to move at warp speed. Just when you learn how to navigate social media and the Internet, they change things. I believe in lifelong learning, but I could make a career out of just ‘keeping up’ with the latest stuff.

My vacation is winding down, but has been busy and loads of fun. We saw the off-Broadway production of To Kill a Mockingbird, adapted for the stage by Aaron Sorkin. It was wonderful seeing one of my absolute favorite books performed on the stage, a meaningful Christmas gift from the kids. It was so well done with a story and message that remains relevant today.

The next evening we attended a comedy show, which released a lot of much-needed endorphins into my system after the tragic event in Nashville.

My birthday celebration included cake (I love chocolate cake with buttercream frosting), candles, gifts, and a lovely dinner out with the family.

And, of course, time with my granddaughters is always a joy. We spent several days playing on the beach, at the park, at the splash pad, and decorating Easter cookies.

As I watched their boundless energy and endless curiosity about everything around them, I was reminded of the potential that every child has. And all that is lost when they die prematurely. I thought of those nine-year-olds in Nashville who went to school last week and never returned home. Of all the children who have perished at the hands of unstable, violent people and those who allow them to easily buy weapons.

This awareness made the time here even more special. As I grow older and am not distracted (and exhausted) by all the constraints of living such as school, work, career, raising a family, etc., I realize how valuable time really is. How enjoyable life can be if we know what matters most.

Regardless of how fast or slow they go, every decade counts. Days become weeks that turn into months and then years. The candles on our birthday cake are markers to measure not so much the time passing, but all the love we have given and received. The memories we make and the wisdom gained, sometimes through great struggles. And when we’re gone all that becomes the legacy we leave behind.

My family and I had many happy moments these past two weeks and the goal is to make many more. So, I need to get busy planning because there are only eight years left in this decade!

RECENT POLL RESULTS:

“What’s Your Favorite Pet” (March 28) - The results were evenly split between Dogs (33%), Cats (33%), and Other (33%)
“Do You Support an Assault Weapons Ban?” - (March 30) - A resounding 100% of respondents voted Yes, which confirmed my belief that Substack readers are intelligent, reasonable human beings!

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Birthday Candles and Making Memories

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