Be happy for what you have while you have it.

[Lindagerr]

Dear friends I just finished going through my 5th box of old pictures. My house has gone from 5 sometimes rowdy adults to 2 quiet adults for the last 2 weeks. Myself and our short term adopted son (a friend of my sons) are the only ones here.

So I decided it was about time to get back to my scrapbooking. I started out just planning to do one page on each of my kids through the years. That evolved into doing a separate scrapbook journal of each child, so I was going through the many shoe boxes of pictures we threw together when we were moving out of our last home. It is almost 1:30 AM and I have only 2 boxes left. I have pictures going back over the last 40 years. The major thing I have noticed through all of this is that my children and I have had a good and full life. We have many old friends we still see and some we have gained and lost along the way.

The saddest thing is I never appreciated a lot of the things I had while I had them. I used to think I wwas too skinny and had no shape and my hair was never the right style and ny nose was too big and when I got to 120 pounds I was fat and really ugly...... You get the picture now I look back and say WOW!!! I was really skinny, or you know my hair looked really good there or I really wasn't all that bad looking at that time.

The other thing I noticed was I can remember at some of these times thinking "if only": I wanted , more children, more money, more house ....... I was never happy with what I had or I was waiting for something to change or some big event. Now I look back and say I had it good I had all those friends and family always there with me, I did, went, saw and shared so much.

So now that I am really old,really fat, and really ugly. Just kidding well maybe a little. I want to tell all of you really skinny, really pretty and really lucky young ones to appreciate what you have now while you are in the moment, cherish those special times with friends and family and don't worry about what tomorrow, next week or next year will bring. I am not saying don't work to make things better don't plan for the future or set goals, I am just saying enjoy where you are now and enjoy the journey to where you are going.

Ok maybe it is the loneliness or the quiet or the fact that my next birthday has a 6 in it somewhere(3 is lucky for me 6 is unlucky). I am feeling melancholy and like so much time and life has gone by:nopity: on the other hand when I look at these pictures I also remember the good times the laughter and the love. So the weekend is coming make a memory, share a joy and remember the good times are here now you don't have to wait.

[ryoder]

I know what you mean. The sad truth is you may look back on right now and think, wow I had it great. So enjoy the present.
As to the being overweight, you can definitely control that. You can't do much about wrinkled skin or graying hair or even a receding hairline so I try not to worry about it. I do take control over the things I have control of and that includes my activity level and what I eat. There are 50+ year old guys in the gym who look better than me and they inspire me.

[dposborne]

Ok maybe it is the loneliness or the quiet or the fact that my next birthday has a 6 in it somewhere(3 is lucky for me 6 is unlucky). I am feeling melancholy and like so much time and life has gone by:nopity: on the other hand when I look at these pictures I also remember the good times the laughter and the love. So the weekend is coming make a memory, share a joy and remember the good times are here now you don't have to wait.

You know they say that 60 is the new 50 (not implying that you are about to turn 60 or anything...)

[Johann]

I pinched this from another forum:

"SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (AP) — Actor John Goodman says he's learned to be grateful for his blessings, rather than always striving for more.

Goodman was awarded an honorary doctorate degree of humane letters Sunday during at the convocation at Missouri State University in Springfield. He graduated from the school with a fine arts degree in 1975."

I'd say umm...Dr. Goodman has learned one of life's most important lessons. To a lot of folks, that lesson could be 'way more valuable than an academic award. Congrats to him on having learned something very important, having provided entertainment as an actor, -- and oh yeah, that honorary doctorate thingy, too!

Johann

PS - My birthdays start with a "7" and I'm fine with it. Better than the alternative!

[cookderosa]

((((HUGS))))
I think we all feel that way sometimes. I try to appreciate those special moments in my life that will fade, but get busy with the business of it too often. A friend sent me a note on Facebook that said "I wish I was as fat as I was when I first thought I was fat" LOL

[Lindagerr]

I love your friends note. I have mixed feelings about turning 60, most of it is that I can't do all the physical things I used to do. I don't feel old yet. After going through all those pictures I find myself doing many more scrapbook pages then I had planned on. As I look at the pictures and remember the events more about them come back to me. Now I want to make a whole book for each of my children and write all of the memories I can. Someday I hope I will be able to watch my grandchildren look at these books and learn more about their Mom or Dad. Funny thing is I can even look back on some times that seemed unbearable at the moment and find something to smile or laugh about.

FYI: My mother will turn 83 in January, she still lives alone, drives a car, cleans her own hose, cooks for herself and learns new difficult games like Majong(she tried teaching my friend and me and we couldn't get it). She also walks every day about a mile. I figure if I can do as well as her I have a lot of years still ahead of me.

[quasarvs]

Difficult to learn. At times it feels like hitting a brick wall.