Time

Once a year, every year if we are lucky, we all come upon the same time of celebration or is it.  Why does it seem Birthdays are such a good reason to celebrate?  Well I guess being here another year is something to be glad for, but what does that bring?

When you are young another year older means you can do more stuff.  If you are 5 going into 6 and have grown two inches voila you can ride the next great ride at the amusement park.  You advance to another class in school.  Get to stay up a little later at night.  Maybe if you are lucky with those training wheels off you are now learning to ride an even bigger "Big Girl" bike.  Yes you might have advanced from the Madame Alexander stuffed dolls into American Girl doll look alike with hair set just like you.  You might even be looking at the Barbie Doll or Bratz toys on that upper shelf in the girl toy isle.

Then there's the 10 to 12 years great changes there.  Some girls start to look a more grown up but like the most of us that doesn't happen to way later.  You are still a girl.  Not a teen, maybe a tween.  You are still in the PG 13 theater when you go to the movies unless you have a cool parent that will let you in.  You still can't go to those school dances where the boys stand in one huddle and the girls in the other.  Yes you get to stay up a little later at night but you computer is locked on parent control and you await the time to take the next step.  If you are like me no smart phone yet, I think by then we were off the party system and could talk longer than 3 minutes. No cell phones then.

Then 13-15 now that's a jump.  No more "tween" you have arrived you are a "teen".  What does that mean? Those PG 13 movies are allowed now and you finally find out they aren't all that.  You need your computer more than ever to Google items required for a paper at school, forget the parent control what's that?  Ok you get to stay up later so what all you want to do is sleep later!!!  It's not cool to be seen within 5 feet of a parent, holding hands is out.  You snicker at the thought of the boy you like looking at you when heaven forbid you have no makeup on.  Your heals are as tall as you foot is long, but wait it won't be long when you decide to ditch that.  Sports are so important now a gateway to you future so you hope.  Long phone calls on your smart phone accompanied by selfies and tweets less we forget just how good we look and others do too. The latest fashions are as short as they are long and a must have if you are cool.  Hair, makeup just right to wear to that dance party where you stand in your huddle and the boys in their's the night is over and you seal you fate when you make a date with "Mr. Great"!

16 oh Sweet 16 the magical date.  The party to beat all parties everything just grand.  Somehow it's Ok, now to hold your parents hand.  This time as they guide you through the ins and outs of operating that big monster in the drive with four wheels and an engine that should be marked lethal.  After taking a class in school maybe one hour a day if you are lucky and having a stranger put you behind the wheel and teach you to drive what an awesome experience.  Daunting for a parent.  Only for a short time while you have your learners permit can you along with you parent explore your driving style and of course it won't be anything like their's.  You listen, roll your eyes so they can't see and go through the motions until you get that permit in your hands...........then it's all bets off, radio blasting, seats filled with friends, sun and wind in your hair.  You are off.  That is the beginning of independence, use it wisely.  Many a young life has been cut short due to the lack of listening to a parent.  LISTEN

17 to 18 it starts to hit.  College decisions float on the horizon.  What will you do?  Where will you go?  But first Junior Prom!  All the fun of planning a wedding with about 30 of your best friends without the I do's of course.  The dress, the tux, the flowers, the limo, the dinner...............enjoy.  Senior year look back before you walk out of that dance look at your past.  Look forward to your future without a lot of the kids you grew up with.  Time will take you apart.  School, marriage, families all take a tole on friendships.  Enjoy your last times of "childhood" fun.

20's well those are the days.  Here you are, you've arrived.  It's all up to you now.  College, graduation, weddings, kids, jobs not always in that order.  But it's up to you.  Your life is what you make it do good.
Don't forget the people that helped you get here.  Don't forget God.  Seems this is the age some of us get too busy to remember the important stuff.  Put God and family on the top of you list cause you are on their's.

30-40's these times pass by.  Busy with raising children and rising yourself up the corporate ladder.  Soccer, tennis, dance all the things you wanted to do as a child and now you can, through yours.  Running faster than the next.  Hoping to be the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates or break that glass ceiling before Hillary.  Slow down, enjoy the moments with the ones you love.  Rest you're going to need it later.

50 well it's said it's the new 30 don't believe that.  Life doesn't begin at 50 it could end.  Let's face it our life could end anytime but the older you get the better the odds are for it.  You know that rest you should have gotten in the 40's do it now.  Stop smell the roses.  Take in some good movies, read more books.  Walk slowly with you grand kids, they walk all too fast out of our lives.  Enjoy the quiet you've earned it.  Hold you partner tight.  This is the time of renewal of that love you found so long ago, just the two of you, together, alone again.  Enjoy.

60's well here I am.  64 what more could someone ask for.  Time has brought me here.  In a few days I'll mark another milestone.  Some of the kids will come, I'll miss the others.  We'll go out to eat, tell old stories and if I want I'll make a cake, or not.  I will enter the next year of my life as I did when I was born quietly.  I miss all my family that have gone on.  Never was one for parties but I'd sure like to have one now with them.  Like to go fishing with my Dad and have a cold beer.  Eat one of Mom's Chocolate Pineapple Cakes, ride with Aunt Teenie down the road with all the windows down.  Go out in Uncle Piggy's boat for a sunset cruise. Spend the night with Aunt Hazel and Uncle Willis.  Got to Grand Momma's and Grand Daddy's and have a dinning with all my relatives on Daddy's side.  Listen to the tall tales that used to flow around the table.  Go to Skips Grandma's and eat her potato salad and baked ham.  Go to his Mom's for Lasagna and hot frozen rolls.  Watch his Dad in his garden beam with pride over his tomatoes.  And somehow undo all the years of hard feeling with my sister.

You can't go back only ahead in time.  Focus on your life, start early.  This time is all you have make the best of it cause it's you life and it goes by in the wink of any eye.

Living is a small community it seems everyone knows what your are up to.  Even if they don't know they make others think they do.  Interesting how so many people find the time to worry about what you are doing but don't bother to ask.  I have learned over the years to stay to myself and try to leave people alone.

I read ever day on Face Book how people hurt the feelings of others.  Seems when we put our hand out to lend it, it gets snapped off at the wrist.  How can alleged friends and family be so mean.  They draw you in just to spit you out.  Then they find pleasure going around and spewing their negative thoughts about you to everyone that will listen.  I would like to know what the other person says about me that makes it OK for them to continue spewing their dirt on me.  If you are my friend why not hold up for me.

Life it too short.  Struggles are too hard.  Why can't people just tend to their own lives and follow the rule, "if you can't say something nice don't bother saying anything at all!".  We all need to set aside a few days and go on a mean free diet.  Rid our minds of negative thoughts.  Purge our hearts of hatred.  Consume only good things.  Exercise our happy muscles instead of our frowns.  If we all could drop several pounds of negativity from our person think how much better the world would be, not to mention our own little community.Change you address from Negative Street to Hope Highway.  Set your GPS to find the good not bad. When you ask someone how they are mean it don't let it just be a passing statement.  Listen not only with your ears but with your heart.  Treat others not the way they treat you but they way you would want them to treat you. Show your good side, the one with the cheek turned.

But if all this fails.  Step away.  Don't be drawn into their mess.  Pray they find someone to help them clean it up knowing you have tried.  Remember in this life you can't hire a maid to do your spiritual housecleaning you have to pick up that broom and sweep away what you put down.  Then you will be ready to show the world you can be a better person.  Then maybe you will be worthy of the others that wanted to be your friend.  Then you will find peace in yourself knowing you can be alone and it's OK.