As I walked into the painting party, I was greeted by a younger sister of a good friend of mine. My comment was slightly embarrassing, "You're all grown up." She smiled, chuckled and replied, "Well, I'm 27 now!"
Where does the time go? The last time I saw her she was probably 12 and I was only heading off to college. It's not like I was that much older or wiser at the time, but youth seems to stay etched in our brains. We are unable to anticipate the growth of everyone around us.
The wonderful night of therapeutic painting and enlightening conversation kept me out way too late. I just couldn't make myself leave. There were reminders of elementary school, small town benefits, catching up on where old friends are now, embarrassing moments, quirky trends ... I was taken back to a much more simple time in life.
When I walked into my parents house at close to midnight, my children and their things were scattered everywhere ... I felt a slight pang of guilt. It lasted only a second as I recounted with my parents what a wonderful night I had and filled them in on our old home-town happenings. The kids were loaded in the car and asleep before we made it to the end of their block. I only had to carry two of them to bed and the biggest pain was dealing with the darn dog (again ... what was Santa thinking ... the dog was a horrible idea)!
I may have lost my chance at 'Mother of the Year' for keeping my children out way too late, but darn did it feel good (plus, I had already lost that award months ago!). It's critical to do things for YOU! To take care of YOU! To enjoy being YOU! And to live as young as you can for as long as possible!
My husband is away fishing this weekend. Some girlfriends gave me a hard time for 'letting' him go ... but, again, he needs to take care of himself, too. Fishing is the one thing that takes him back to his youth and gives him the most pleasure. He'll come back revived and ready to conquer the world for a few more days! Plus, he got second in his bass tournament (yes, these do exist) and made enough money to cover the cost of his trip. Bonuses all the way around!
Last night I pulled out my yearbook and thumbed through my life many moons ago. My childhood wasn't all roses, but I have some pretty amazing memories weaved through my past.
Our history; our ups and downs, our successes and failures, are what make us who we are today. We can't change the past- it is what it is. And, no one really knows what our future holds. It's the present that counts; the here and now ... it's up to us to make it what we choose.
I'm grateful for my Friday night that took me back to my youth. It's wonderful to know that I'm still young at heart- that my past isn't really that far away. The good, the bad and the ugly are what they are. I am who I am today because of it all!
Enjoy the journey you have been blessed with, love the people in your life, smile :) and remember, 'It's Okay'.
Visit www.itsokaybooks.com to learn more!
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