Time has been on my mind quite often recently. This is due in part to my sudden awareness of my own age. One of my grandmothers told me many years ago that she felt the same inside as she did when she was a young woman; only the outside had changed. I have come to realize exactly what she meant. I also realize, however, that others' perception of us also changes as we get older. I now realize that the students--and teachers--that I work with each day are unable to see the young woman inside of me. Well, I'm straying from the point. . . Another reason time has been on my mind has to do with my Aunt Lorene, one of my Dad's two surviving sisters who suffered a massive stroke about three weeks ago and hasn't regained consciousness; the doctors hold out little hope. It seems like such a short time ago that I was a little girl visiting with her and her family when we all lived in California. It was in her home that I first ate and developed a "love" for tacos, and it was also in her home that my obsession with large Christmas trees began. At that time, my parents and I lived in apartments or small houses where there wasn't enough room for a full sized Christmas tree, so we had "table top" Christmas trees for several years. If you've never had one, you really haven't missed out on anything. When I went to Aunt Lorene's and Uncle George's house, however, they had a Christmas tree! Their tree would have never fit on a table because it stretched all of the way from the floor to the ceiling. The awe that I felt still lives in my mind to this day and has shown itself throughout the years in my attraction to large Christmas trees, often ones that were not really practical for the rooms in which they were to be displayed, but they certainly were beautiful!
My aunt's current condition has reminded me of these and many other pleasant memories, but I have also been reminded of the brevity of life as well as the importance of treasuring each day and of using well each moment. When I think of the wasted time and opportunities in my own life, I am saddened. However, I also realize that regret is a terrible waste of time; instead, I hope to use the time that I am given more wisely each day.
"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of." ~Benjamin Franklin
1 comment:
You make me sad. I don't know Aunt Lorene and Uncle George nearly as well as you do but I have really enjoyed what time I have spent with them. Aunt Lorene seems like someone who really enjoyed life to its fullest extent. By the way, you are doing GREAT on the blogging. I don't think you are a monster...Dad just doesn't want you to start blogging about him!
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