Yesterday and Today and Forever

An old friend of my life in the eighties wrote me a little note today. How nice is it to hear from people you knew in the “good old days”, especially from those whom you shared a good friendship bond. There are many people in my life I just don’t get to see or talk with often, whether they are only a 3 hour drive away or on the other side of the planet. Those unexpected “hellos” bring back fond memories of a younger me.


I suppose we all enjoy memories of the younger us, in a day when risk was worth taking and chances were the call of the day, when cares were few and happiness was the goal. The forgetfulness of my mind and the aches of my body tell me that yes, those are memories, and if I attempted what I did back then today, I probably “wouldn’t make it out alive”. Thank you God for the memories of yesterday and for the wisdom not to go back there again.

And at the same time, older age does bring with it wisdom. The memories of my youth stir old time happiness and the wisdom of my here and now bring forth more lasting joy and love that I ever could have imagined in my youth. I would not trade my present for my past for any amount of wealth or any amount of promises. In the normalcy of my life and in its daily struggles and triumphs, reality exists, and in this reality, I will embrace the joy it brings.

I encourage us all to embrace the fond memories of our youth, reconnect with an old friend, share the past and relive it in today. When it’s all done at the end of the day and reality resumes control, be grateful for the memories and for what you have today. Thank you my friend for the memories of yesterday. Thank you, my wife and children, for my reality of today. Thank you God for life, grace, forgiveness, and the wisdom to know Your reality in my life.

(The writings in this post are random thoughts and observations and are NEVER intended as professional or personal advice. Take what works and leave the rest. For information on mental health and/or substance abuse help, visit http://www.rodneyvalandra.com and refer to the links page.)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

You Saw What?

Image
That old saying about opinions surely applies to perceptions. You and I can visually see the same thing and have different perceptions. And this applies to what we hear, experience, and belief. I perceive the cold and beauty of winter as that of a child, with excitement and joy, whereas my friend might experience this as misery and confinement. And then, the cost of heating and the fear of freezing could be a completely different and drastic impression to others. In my opinion, I only know of one absolute. Most everything else is perception. It seems to me that we quickly, and oh so easily, fall into the belief that our perceptions are fact and in many cases, especially for those of us with higher degrees of control needs and rigidity, fail or refuse to see past what we feel. As I listen to people around me, in my interactions, I am aware of how perceptions interfere with the ability to truly hear and understand others. I heard a person once state, “They’re my feelings and so their
Read more

Worthy and Wanted

Image
Many of us attempt to start our days each day in a positive manner, with a direction that will guide us in a meaningful and healthy manner throughout the remainder of the day. Some begin with exercise, others coffee (yes, coffee is very meaningful), others some form of relaxation, others meditation, and others prayer, or a combination of more than one. Beginning our days in a purposeful manner helps us to manage and resist the coming anxiety and stress that life in the real world brings. In beginning a day, I came along a prayer from another person, penned anonymously, in a daily reading, which was simple and yet so complex. It read, “I pray that I may never make anyone feel repulsed or unwanted”. Sounds good, sounds simple, sounds easy enough. And then, when I contemplate the depth of such a prayer, I realize the true difficulty of such a prayer. A similar prayer echoes through my mind, “Lord, help me to return to this bed causing as little harm as possible throughout my day”. Such
Read more

Is it Tired or Am I Just Getting Old

Image
Ever fell back in life and the brain yells to you, wow, am I tired. And I'm not talking about being tired because of life, yard work, and post-activities of the day; just plain tired. There are days that "running away", like we use to threaten as small angry children with red faces and clinched fists, is just appealing. The thought of bundling it all up on the end of a stick and hitting the big open road tugs at the wondering heart, feeling there's got to be something better than this. Times like that when I wish I knew how to ride a motorcycle, wind in my hair, a thousand miles an hour down a road of who really cares where it ends, just as long as I'm riding (you motorcycle freaks know what I'm talking about, even if I don't). Or maybe it is the realization that age is catching up and the colorful vivid memories of our past sail us down that old and familiar river of d'Nile, convincing ourselves that we can somehow magically recapture our youth. So w
Read more