F3 - Family, Forever, and Future

Family has always been most important to us. All our decisions and actions have always revolved around what is best for family. We were always looking ahead, planning, saving, thinking about education for children, training for careers, providing those things necessary for good health, happiness, and fulfillment. It was all about the future and what the future would hold.

Whoa! I think the realization has struck that the future is now! The future for Don and I is certainly a much shorter time than the past. We are digging our heels in and trying to slow the passing of time. Now, when we look to the future, the possibilities don't seem so inviting. Perhaps this is the reason that older folks spend so much time reminiscing - the past looks rosier than the future.

I prefer to, and try to simply live in the present as much as possible. To experience this day and all it has to offer. In "Winnie the Pooh" Eeyore falls into the river. Pooh asks him if was a joke or an accident. Eeyore says, "I didn't ask myself if it was a joke or an accident. I just floated to the surface and said to myself,'It's wet'. If you know what I mean." Eeyore had the right idea. He wasn't stressing about the past or the future, he was just living in the present.

In our kitchen we have a mug that holds pencils, pens, and scissors. On the side of the mug it says, "Celebrate the day!" Last week when I took that mug from the cabinet to use as a pencil holder, I had no reason other than to organize the clutter on the cabinet. But maybe something guided my hand to that particular mug, because I think it should be our new guiding light for living day to day. Life is made up of zillions of moments worthy of a celebration, if we would just stop and notice their worth.

I don't remember the date of that day when I first noticed a guy named Don sitting in the back of the classroom, or the day when Randy came home and said his teacher said a good school would be the U. of Cincinnati, or when Cheryl decided to work at Marsh, or talk to Whitey Ellis about a special ed. job. I don't remember the date when Rod bought that first computer and spent most of the night programming it to play music. But all of those moments were worthy of great celebration, they certainly were life changing.

Yesterday I celebrated our efforts at the "Back to School" sale at the library. We helped place some wonderful materials into the hands of parents, teachers, and kids, and for rock bottom prices. And all the money we made will go back to the library and its work. I celebrated the nice long visit that Cheryl reported having with Grandma. I know that both sweet ladies loved that time together. I celebrate their joy in one another. Today I am celebrating a beautiful quiet time at home. Don gets his Colts game and the PGA golf championship. I will check in on these events now and then. And I get to enjoy my office/craft room - time on the computer, time to do some sewing, time to enjoy the sunlit view from my window!

We don't remember dates, we remember moments.