Friday Tidings

While searching for an older photo I found this one. I shook my head and smiled. I’m not sure why I had so many one-piece outfits in my wardrobe, but I did, and this one was summery and quite pink. Next to Tom’s purple shorts, we were a real match.   After wincing at my outfit choice, what got me thinking were the role changes since then.   Tom and I have shifted into the grandparent’s spot. Our daughter is now raising kids, and our son is nearing the age I was in this picture. Both are hard at work—like we once were.   Then, I contemplated my younger self. As much as I felt I had control of my life back then—me in my pink onesie, I didn’t. I hadn’t learned how little I could really control, even though I tried. I eventually realized I could control only me—and that was not always successful. In my younger years, I thought keeping those I loved on a tight leash would prevent problems. Kind of a fear-based control.   Also, over the intervening years, I’ve seen how goo...

Back in my early years of high school, I volunteered to serve coffee and doughnuts during the break in the evening adult education classes.  It was a fundraiser for our debate team, and all I had to do was brew up coffee in one of those 50-cup urns. Then, I’d place white Styrofoam cups, napkins, prepackaged sugars and creams, and a box of Hostess doughnuts on a table in the hallway. The evening classes came down on their break and I’d see people who I deemed to be as old as my parents buying a .25¢ cup of hot brew. I quickly learned who’d be my regulars for those powdered sugar doughnuts. I’d hear snippets of conversations from the classmates—discussing law, science, or math. Most were here to get college credits for career advancements, while simultaneously holding down a regular job and taking care of families. I had no clue how hard they were working. But then, there was a really old lady—she had to be way older than my grandmother, and I couldn’t figure out why she wa...

It was about 3:00 in the morning and I was listening to my grandson finish packing his belongings before heading back to college. Even though he had to get up in three hours, I knew he’d still try and get a couple hours of sleep before his ride came. I could already picture him groggily walking out the door.  We’d soon be saying goodbye. Hopefully he’d remember my big hug. As I listened to him pack his things, I thought about his early childhood years, when tears would slip down his cheeks as he left our cabin to go back home, now I knew how he felt.  And isn’t life just a steady lineup of goodbyes? Parents say goodbye to the fleeting newborn weeks. Then too quickly, it’s goodbye to childhood.  Teens think it will never happen, but soon they say goodbye to their childhood home. In their newly minted adult excitement, they may not realize it won’t ever be the same again. And it isn’t. I’ve said plenty of goodbyes in my life, and so have you.  But the best ...

My husband Tom is a safe driver. He could have been a long-haul truck driver for the tireless hours he can spend behind the wheel. His driving record is nearly spotless, except for the three minor accidents that happened while he was in reverse. In his defense, it was in our truck that is tall and lacks a back-up camera. Two of the three accidents happened while he was thinking of me…..once he stopped for roadside flowers and backed in to a mailbox post. Then there was the time he’d forgotten to get me a string of Christmas lights, so he backed up….into a car that was so close he couldn't see it. No one was ever hurt, damages were negligible, and we are both incredibly mindful about accidents in reverse now. But really? Am I more mindful about being careful in reverse? How about when things aren’t going forward in the direction I planned—am I still thoughtful and kind?  I’ve had a few accidents with my mouth when life is in reverse. And insurance can’t fix the damages caused by a d...