They got me! It’s not easy to surprise a momma who has her pulse on every detail of her family’s life. But they did. These are the last few days of my fifth decade on earth. Friday, I turn 60. This past weekend, Mike and my children surprised me with a celebration of friends and family. I was overwhelmed as I scanned the room and witnessed forty years of men and women who have molded and shaped me; years of wisdom and laughter, sorrows and struggles. These men and women stepped onto the path of my life and journeyed with me through it all.
My family explained to me later that after booking the room, they realized they couldn’t fit the entire list they had come up with – (so the celebrating will continue…)! One daughter whispered, “You sure know a lot of people”. Well, over a 60-year span, I guess we do. I think the greater joy is that I still cherish them all and hold them close to my heart. I’ve learned not to take any of those blessings for granted. My eyes scanned the room after she said that and my chest tightened as I held back the tears. Wow! 60 years! So many lessons learned. So much life lived.
The kids came up with a “Next Chapter” theme – how appropriate for their momma who can never have enough books – and whose dream is to one day write one. The tables were decked with all the things I love – books, flowers, and pictures; pictures that depicted chapters of my life. It was a happy walk down memory lane. A childhood where I was loved and cared for and knew joy from my parents and brother.
The joy of falling in love with my childhood sweetheart, getting married, and starting a family, and watching them grow into beautiful, self-giving adults. And of course, the story continues as a new generation of love grows.
Of course, there were a few jokes about the downhill slope, the slower pace, the aches, and pains…..all things I’m sure I’ve teased about over the years. But the one lesson that I’ve learned, the “aha” that God has placed on my heart, is that
To grow old is a gift, one denied to many!
So, I will embrace this next chapter with all that it brings me – knowing there will be loss. Loss of people, memories and abilities, dreams and wishes……..but each loss is laced with an emptying of my will and opens a space for God’s grace to enter and my acceptance of the new adventures He wants me to cherish. Each chapter brings a new mission – a new purpose. Each chapter calls for a celebration!
As my eyes scanned the room, there was also a void. A space that was clearly visible where friends and family should have been. I felt their presence watching over of us and helping draw my attention to the greatest gift of all – love. The love that filled that room took my breath away quite a few times. There was an ease in conversations that flowed from table to table – one in spirit. I can imagine heaven with this same kind of brotherhood.
Thank you Father, for the gift of sight. The gift to witness the goodness You’ve given me in this lifetime. May it always penetrate through the harder moments of this next chapter in my life. May I learn to accept the parts of me that aren’t perfect and remember that laugh lines and a few extra pounds come with a life well lived. May I continue to honor the body and mind you have given me and care for it so that I can continue to be blessed and be a blessing to others on this side of heaven. As life’s pen begins to write on the blank pages of this new chapter, may there be less of me and more of you in every line.
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