My parents at the age I am now – Humm let me think.

I guess I need to begin by saying that I am “63” years old at this point in the year. I feel like I’ve lived a full life. I’ve been married nearly “45” years. I’ve raised four boys and now have grandchildren. Honestly, it is just so difficult for me to believe I’m old enough for all of this to be true – but it is.

My father passed away when he was “60” years old in 1994 from lung cancer. He lived a hard life. His father was a harsh man. My dad was a sailor and a coal miner. He had creative juices, but struggles of life choked them out. He could paint – really good. The other joy he had was singing. However, his inner demons overwhelmed him so that the words to sing didn’t come very often. So, at this point I have already out lived him. That seems very strange to think about, I was on this earth longer than my father.

My momma at the age of “63” was living in Tennessee by herself on a piece of land that she and my dad bought. They bought a shell of a house with hopes in finishing it. However, my dad got sick and the house never got finished while she was alive. She was working and enjoying life. Living with six kids and a husband had to be tough at times and I think she was enjoying the freedom.

Then my sweet momma passed when she was “78” years old. She actually passed in 2017. She lived a very hard life. She was a wife and mother to six kids. She was the one who went to work and still tried to do her house-hold duties as well. She ended up having several strokes, heart attacks and kidney cancer. She loved butterflies and the ocean. She loved to pan for gems. It made her so happy. She wasn’t a picky kind of lady – simply things brought her great joy.

Looking at where at where I am in comparison to my parents gives me much to ponder. I wonder how my children would answer this question about me. Is my life I’m living the best it can be? Not by wealth or fame, but by love and compassion for others. May I give them great fodder to write about some day.