Relfections on Birthdays Past

My oldest Son will be 44 years old tomorrow! Now if you don't think this blog applies to you, listen up. Before you know it that little baby you are holding in your arms will be 40 in the blink of an eye. It seems like only yesterday that Cliff was riding on that old red tractor with Harold (who passed away some years back after battling Parkinsons) and his sister Wendy. I don't know where all those years went, but now Cliff has two boys of his own (one of whom is already 15, the other is 8) and I am a great grandmother of two!

I am saying all of this to remind you to take each day as it comes, and enjoy every minute of it. Not all of the days will be easy, but some of them will be spectacular. Like the time when Cliff was just a little guy playing Little League in Berlin, Maryland. He wanted a pair of cleats (they were expensive) and I told him on the way to his game that day that I would buy him a pair of cleats when he hit his first home run. Well, I didn't get to wait long, as that day at the end of the game the kid not only hit a home run, but hit the winning home run. I laughed, cried and sighed and was so proud all at the same time. That was nearly forty years ago, and I still remember it so clearly.

Now, we go to the boys soccer games and root them on and cheer when they are successful and comfort them when the game goes the other way. I am so proud of them. They are growing up to be great kids who will soon be great adults, and I enjoy the time I have to spend with them. I have four children and seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. I can remember when someone used to say something happened twenty years ago, and how long a time that seemed. Now I realize how easily that time slips away.

Don't rush it. Enjoy each and every day and whatever it brings. Tell your family how much you love them every chance you get. Be generous with hugs (in spite of the fact that the boys sometimes seem a little embarrassed by them)and with praise. Share joy, recipes, memories and just plain old fashioned fun. Time is short!