Growing Older But Not Up

 I will turn 70 years old this year.  As I said before, I truly never dreamed I’d live this long.  After my Cousin Roy’s sudden and untimely passing, and my friend Robert’s suicide, I really started thinking about my mortality.  Obviously, I have more years behind me than I do ahead of me, and for a while that depressed me.  But I made some discoveries and some decisions about myself. I did a lot of soul searching and reflection, and this is what I have decided.

I have decided to embrace my age.  I’m going to try to enjoy every minute.  So many of my friends and family never had the chance to see old age, so I have decided to live for them.  I’ve been given a great gift, a long life, and I plan to live it fully.

I have sons and grandchildren I love with all my heart.  I have other family I dearly love. I have great friends who are like family to me.  I have a wonderful woman in my life who brings me so much joy and love.  Why would I be depressed when I have so much to live for.  So much to enjoy. So much love in my life. 

My late friend Garry Roark, who was one of the legends of competition barbecue and one of the finest people I’ve ever known, was a master storyteller. He had a saying he loved  and he even had lapel pins made that he gave out to his friends saying “Live A Great Story.”  I'm fortunate enough to have received one of these pins and I treasure it.  Like Garry, I’m going to try to live a great story

I’m going to have fun.  I’m going to be happy.  I'm going to do things and be with people who bring me joy.  I don’t have time anymore to be around people and things that I don’t like. .  As the title of this post says, I’m growing older but not up!  


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