Don't wish your life away!

My Grandma Grace in the redwoods, she lived to be 81 and died just after my college graduation

I am down to 8 days before I take my youngest son nearly 500 miles away for his freshman year of college and kind words from friends, nostalgic movies and old pictures are among the many things bringing tears to my eyes this month. My grandma always told anyone she heard wishing it was already . . . friday or evening or Christmas or Summer, "Don't wish your life away." 

 I think I have done fairly well living by that advice although, not perfectly by and means, and I have managed to store up a jillion and one good memories and to reach the goals on my bucket list fairly completely.

1994

 I have graduated from college with a teacher's credential and spent 10 years teaching severely handicapped kids.  I had one lovely baby boy by adoption and one I gave birth to and I got to spend a lot of time loving and playing and teaching them, and my husband has been my best friend and biggest support and has worked really hard so that I cold cut back to working part time as a Sub and be a full time Mom.  I have travelled to Europe and Asia and central America and published three books, but the biggest success in my life is that I have raised young men who are strong and kind and wonderful.

my Dad wanted to be a grandpa forever but got the Cancer diagnosis and was dead not long after this

my sister in law was young and active and died in the Heat of the Grand Canyon on a hike, much too young

I really don't know were I will go from here, or what my life goals will be now that things are changing.  I can already tell that it is fun to get to think more about my husband and I again, but that means revisiting where we want to head now that this chapter is coming to a close.

I just know that I am blessed and that blessing began when I started whining, "I wish it was Friday.  I wish it was next Christmas, I wish . . . 

And my Grandma took the time to take me in her arms and tell me to slow down and enjoy where I was right at this moment

"Don't go wishing your life away.  It'll get here before you're ready anyway."

My oldest Baby, is a hard working young man

my flame haired old man has snow on the roof a bit now and our youngest baby is heading to College

I have a wonderful addition to my family to make me laugh in the same loving way as some of the people I have lost along the way.  She would have loved my Dad and Sister-in-law and Grandma Grace

taking time to just enjoy being alive on this beautiful planet we all share

Mom and I

My Brother, Lance

 Life is fast, it is amazingly fleeting, but there is so much that is great in it.

I hope that you too, have a chance to slow down, breathe, pat yourself on the back for the goals that you have met and then look ahead with a grin and figure out where you want to be in the future and then relax and tell yourself to enjoy every moment on the way to that future.

What are your best successes and your brightest dreams?