All Aboard

Well, well, well.... I've almost kept the journaling up for a year. Good for me.

Let's see what's been going on? Months are absolutely still flying by like days. Spent another lovely weekend on the family farm. It doesn't get much better than that.

Reconnecting with my brother John always includes interesting conversation and just plain fun.

My sister Ruth, who is 3 and 1/2 years younger than me, brought her 12-year-old son, Austin along with the news that she is expecting her 2nd baby in early March. WOW, did that give whole new meaning to my newfound mood swings?

Melissa and pals took the train to Chicago for an overnight at the sublet apartment. They didn't have much money, but I don't think that reflected the fun level. They have enough footage for a teens on the loose in the city documentary.

We hosted a Springhill party late in July. And somehow when Ben and Jennifer learned we were heading to Indiana, another camp party erupted here. Not much damage done, except to the refrigerator and somehow the pile of scrip coupons is thinner. That's the evil plot of the scrip program....it doesn't feel like real money.

Can there really be an NFL pre-season game on already? Our 27th wedding anniversary almost slipped by without anyone noticing. We did enjoy a steak dinner and The Bourne Supremacy. I'll give it 2 & 1/3 stars and only the third because of Matt Damon.

The brightly colored school packet arrived in the mail today, along with a truckload of back-to-school ads.... and so we begin our foray into the first of the lasts. The last first day, the last tree, the last dance, the last photo ops, the last time friends will all be together....she is super excited to get this year over with and get on with her life, while I, on the other hand, will do everything in my power to slow this ride down a bit.

I hope we can both remember to savor the journey, together.

The Station by Robert J. Hastings

Tucked away in our subconscious minds is an idyllic vision in which we see ourselves on a long journey that spans an entire continent. We’re traveling by train, and from the windows, we drink in the passing scenes of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at crossings, of cattle grazing in distant pastures, of smoke pouring from chimneys, of row upon row of cotton, corn, and wheat, of flatlands and valleys, of city skylines and village halls. But uppermost in our minds is our final destination - for at a certain hour and on a given day, our train will finally pull into the station with bells ringing, flags waving and bands playing. And once that day comes, so many wonderful dreams will come true. So restlessly, we pace the aisles and count the miles, peering ahead, waiting, waiting, waiting for the station.

“Yes, when we reach the station, that will be it!” we promise ourselves. “When we’re 18...win that promotion...get famous...put the last kid through college...buy that new car...pay off the mortgage...retirement.”

From that day on, we will all live happily ever after.

Sooner or later, however, we must realize there is no station in this life, no one earthly place to arrive at once and for all. The journey is the joy. The station is an illusion - it constantly outdistances us. Yesterday’s a memory: tomorrow’s a dream. Yesterday belongs to history; tomorrow belongs to God. Yesterday’s a fading sunset: tomorrow’s a faint sunrise. Only today is there light enough to love and live.

So gently close the door on yesterday and throw the key away. It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad, but rather the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow.

“Seize the day” is a good motto when coupled with Psalm 118:24: “this is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more mountains, kiss the baby, count the stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot. Eat more ice cream. Ride more merry-go-rounds. Watch the sun set. Life must be lived as we go along.