I do know that two things will always make me feel better. (1) My sister will always be older than me.. and when I was younger I couldn't wait to grow up and be just like her. Me and my friends would imitate her & her friends cause we thought they were so dang cool. And it was cool always getting to hang out with the older crowd. The high school crowd was fun while I was in elementary and Jr. High; but the older kids ALWAYS had more fun. But it wasn't until I got accepted into the post college phase of her life that I really enjoyed it. If memory serves me..(yes right.. let's not remind me of the old memory thang).. the statute of limitations for providing underage drinkers w/their favorite beverages has passed. To admit the truth, I never did turn out like her.. And for that I am thankful. I have eventually found my own way on my own path. Could never have asked for a better older sister. And she did have a fabulous wardrobe I cherished. Oh how I cried when that car and wardrobe got married!! However, on this age thing... I draw the line. She can be the older one.. gladly. And why is it I have more gray hairs then her? Maybe cause she doesn't face an ugly future cause she doesn't yank them out? hmmm
And (2) my little brother who has tormented me yearly and at every chance he can to tease me about my old age, loss of memory and overall entry into geezerville. Whoo Hoo.. He will turn the BIG 40 this year.. And I will gladly lead him into this unchartered territory into old age..and torment the crap out of him every chance I can get. He happens to be one of the funniest people I know. I relish and treasure the times I get to spend time with him, especially when he is telling his jokes and stories. I also look to him for decent music in this almost musically dry season. Just what is this crap for the most part on the radio? What a great OLD guy he has become...
I remember while in college when I thought 24 was OLD. And to think.. I married as an old maid to my way of thinking age of 26!! (But once I hit that age, then the old age marker rose even higher to say 31) always . What the hell was I thinking? 24 is the prime of your life. The road ahead is big, unchartered and well open enough that you can make a few pit stops, lay overs and even do overs if the need be. Adventure and the idea that you are "King of the world".. ok..maybe not that.. but at least invinsible rule the day. You are very willing to take chances, fib your way into a career postion knowing darn well you can prove that you Do know how to do that job you are interviewing for.... given a week to prove it. The mantra.. fake it till you make it is your north star in your guiding compass .
And then you start to get quiet and simple reminders that you are not that spring chicken anymore. Your clucker has gotten a bit more spookier and your feathers are turning a different color. And you thank God that you aren't a rooster cause you notice their feathers are falling out at a very quick rate. You still have some spring in your step, but you must remember NOT to try and show your precious daughter how to do a handstand against the wall. You realize what you just taught her was to how to really hurt your neck by showing her the very painful neck nerves you never knew you had. And that memory thing THEN decides to chatter and remind you that you haven't actually performed a handstand since you looked really good in your Gloria Vanderbilt jeans inyour Freshman yr. in high school so many years ago that you care to remember. Nor was it a good idea when you thought it was a good idea to show your young son how to skateboard....however, completely forgetting that most ENJOYABLE knee surgeryand the fact that God blessed you with insufficient muscles to support your chicken knees.
Yeppers!! 45 brings on a whole nuther line of physical limitations and issues in and amongst itself. However, you also realize that the person you have become is much more forgiving of how you view yourself and your surroundings. The trade off I think is the wisdom that comes more frequently now in what you know, who you have become and what you really want out of life. The important stuff.. ...the little stuff that got shoved aside while making your mark on the world has become front and center. Family, faith, lifelong friendships and giving back are what matter most now. I have lost a few friends who I am saddened to know they never had the opportunity to see This side of the view.
There is also an interesting aspect to having your career first and then your kids late in life. Not only do you start to understand those limitations more clearly in realizing how much harder it is to keep up w/the rugrats.. But you are teaching them some very valuable coping and life skills along the way. I see now how I have tapped into my happy childhood and family experiences to share with them. They love the stories of when I was young. It is a great reminder of who I was back then and how it all impacted and shaped me into my today. I've also taught them how to handle the situation of being stranded in the city due to car trouble when the hubs has gone out of state for his yearly hunting trip. We made an interesting adventure out of it and decided it really was better to have stayed in school that day than to get out for an important Dr's visit.
And then there was the very comical and embarrassing event of actually 'losing' your car at the HUGE grocery store parking lot. We Ok, I, packed the grocery basket with the most I have ever hunted and gathered for us, and then proceeded to forget where I had parked the car. After a 7 minute hunt, Thing 1 yelling and Thing 2 on the verge of tears.. we were blissfully rewarded that "Daddy's car is much better cause you can just push the alarm button on your keychain Mom, and then you can find it".."By the way, Mom you really should get a better car w/one of those". and "hey.. the car wasn't really stolen.. I told you". They learned that Mom is an idiot who has not an ounce of memory left and my car is insufficient. While I learned that my memory is shot, I will always park on the same row every time..even if it means walking the 1/4 mile to the main road, and get this: Hey.. Hubs has had memory problemas as well.. he just has and will never admit them. He's had to use the little alarm button to find his way.. I LOVE kids.. they don't miss a thing!! And they are very forgiving.
Oh yea.. and today Thing 1 learned how to really swim with my creative teaching style. Something that even the YMCA couldn't accomplish with this child~! Whoo Hoo..Bring it on!! there's hope for me yet~ =D
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