"The Way We Were"

I've been thinking about the past, lately. Specifically my past. Several milestones will occur this year, for me, and those are bringing up memories of long ago.
I recall being the maid of honor in a wedding that took place fifty years ago this year. I remember that I wore a blue dress and carried some sort of bouquet. The church was beautiful and everything went very smoothly, according to plan. Surely, there were glitches and tears, because most of the weddings that I have been involved with since, have been a mixed bag of emotions and situations. Brides have thrown fits, preachers were tardy and out-laws were feuding. But, I remember that event, fifty years ago this coming August, as a really nice event. The couple is still happily married, so I think I am remembering it just right.
Fifty years is a long time. Ask anyone under the age of thirty and they will tell you that anything occurring 50 years ago is surely ancient history. Those of us over fifty, however, often remember our early years as if they were yesterday.
It's a fact, that as we age, our short-term memories sometimes fail. It becomes difficult to remember what we were thinking or doing 10 minutes before. Our long-term memories, or the ability to recall long-ago events and people, often become sharper and more clear.
I'm praying that happens to me. My perfect dream of aging would be remembering all of the good times of the past and forgetting the bad times.

Great Lord: Thank you for the abundance  and richness of our lives. We grow as we are challenged by the ups and downs of our daily living. Help us to look at our lives as glasses half full. Your steadfast love endures forever and our gratefulness is constant.

Twirling In Line

Perhaps there are only two types of people in this world. One personality type thrives on routine and consistency and the other sort seems to be most at home experiencing change. A daily
routine keeps about half of my friends and acquaintances sane. Change makes them crazy.
I believe that I belong to the other half of creation. I love different situations and non-routine. Of course, I shower every day and brush my teeth regularly, but beyond that, my days are never the same.
Most of my work experiences have been of the non-routine type. During my long career as a substitute teacher, every day was a different classroom, a different subject and a different set of students. I never knew, from day to day, what my circumstances would be. I thrived on the challenge.
My current position has me assisting residents, in many different ways, every day. I'm loving it.
But, I know that this lack of routine is driving some of my co-workers bonkers. They lament the fact that there is no routine in the work that we are doing.
I don't think it is possible to have things both ways. We are who we are and we like what we like.
Frankly, we are fortunate that there are people who are creatures of habit and those who wouldn't and couldn't have a habit, even if their lives depended on it.

Creative God. Thank you for the challenges of our lives. Help us all to be forever adaptable. Grant us patience and forgiveness. Allow us to appreciate the differences in our brothers and sisters. We glorify your power and honor your name.

Nanook of the Northland

The New Year is predicted to come blasting in with a major winter storm. Now, we just had a white Christmas, and the weather has been relatively chilly for days, but the weather persons are all predicting a really deep dip in the temperature. One forecaster said that we will hit temperatures 20 degrees below normal, for this time of year.
Most of the time, people in this town take what the weather-folks say with a grain of salt. In other words, they normally refuse to pay any attention to forecasts. When we have the threat of a tornado........we wait to hear the sirens, before we take cover. When rain is predicted, we hardly ever remember to pack that umbrella.  Dry and hot. Well, it's summer and we'll survive. Cold. Maybe a coat if we have to walk a major distance. Gloves, sure, but forget that stocking cap! It might wreck havoc with our hairdos.
However, when snow and ice are predicted, the locals panic. The grocery stores get packed. People everywhere are buying the necessities. Flying off the shelves are toilet paper, bread, milk and the makings for chili. I can understand the milk and toilet paper, but chili beans and canned tomatoes?
This whole town is making chili! You can't find a single can of tomatoes on a grocery store shelf, for miles. (Oh, I just happened to make a run to the neighborhood Price Chopper for some.)
Just let the weather-folks say the S-N-O-W word and we all charge off to buy stuff. Something in that four letter word makes us imagine being snowed in. And, we must have our necessities, chili and all, if we are forced to stay home.....for days!
It's not going to happen, of course. We have modern snow removal in my town and throughout the entire area. Never, in my long existence, have I ever been trapped in my home by snow and ice. I have chosen to stay home a day or so, however, until the roads are perfectly clear.. But never, have we been snow bound.
We are funny creatures.

Lord God. You must marvel at the silliness of your human sons and daughters. We worry about the goofiest things. When we ever learn to "Trust and Obey". Oh, us of little Faith.
Your goodness and mercy is everlasting.