Thursday, October 27, 2016

Home

Last night my 24 year old pulled into the driveway and announced he was staying the night.  It seems his roommate had family company at the house and he offered his bedroom to them.  When asked where he would spend the night, he told them he was going home.  Because although they have homes of their own, the boys still consider home to be where ever mom and dad are. That got me thinking about what is home to me. 

For me, home is a house with green awnings in Dearborn, MI where I grew up with my mom, dad and sister.  In my mind, I can see the days in that place.  The dining room where we ate dinner every night without the tv on.  The kitchen my mom complained was too small for her to cook in.  The stairs where my sister and I would sit quietly and listen to tv when we should have been in bed.  The bedroom we shared (which was okay when we were little but a war zone when we became teens).  Holidays celebrated with family and friends.  First dates with nervous boys meeting dad and sadness when we had to move.

Home then became a house in Marquette, MI where I lived for a short time before getting married and moving away.   But home was still there with my mom and dad. Once a week, I found myself back there whether it to do laundry while visiting with mom or having supper.  It was holiday celebrations or helping when dad got sick.  It was living at home for a short time while waiting for the birth of my first son and then my second.

Home changed after my dad died.  Home became Appleton, WI and Las Vegas, NV and Surprise, AZ and Minneapolis, MN and finally Seminole, FL.  All these places were home because that was where my mom was.  Mom is gone now but I like to think she went home to be with dad.  Is my home gone now?  No, it is still with my mom and dad and someday when it is my time to go, I believe that I will go home too.  I will find myself sitting on the front porch of that house in Dearborn, MI and my dad will come to the front door and say, "Ellen, it's time to come in...it's time to come home."

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Happy Birthday to me!

Turning 65 is one of those events in your life that can make you very depressed or very confused.  Depressed because a good portion of our culture sees 65 years old as OLD!  You qualify for Medicare, you are eligible for all senior citizen discounts (although you can join AARP at 50 and get senior discounts), you are considered to be helpless, on the road to dementia and not capable of doing anything you could do 5 or 10 years ago.  Confusion because you don't feel old, you don't see yourself as old and you still try to do everything you did 5 or 10 years ago including new adventures if you are retired.

Last week, I joined the ranks of the confused 65 year olds.  I do not feel this age.  I feel like I am in my 50s with all the energy and enthusiasm that goes with it.  Yes, my hair is grayer these days and my children are now in their 20s and 30s and when I look in a mirror, I look so much like my mom it is scary.  But for the most part, I do not consider myself 65 years old.  To me, this is not old age.  My dad lived to be 71 and my mom lived to be 85.  With the medical achievements today and what's coming in the future, I suspect I can live to be 100.  This means I am only halfway thru my life. 

Now I could just sit and wait for my time on this earth to end but what is the point of that?  I still have too much to do and too much to share to give up now.  So this year, I told my sons the great piece of advice my mom gave me when she turned 65.  I told them, "If people ask, you will tell them you are 24 and 30 years old which means I am 50 years old.  Next year, I will let you know if we are changing that."

I may be 65 years old but since I don't feel that age why should anyone else know the truth.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

October 1 - Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

St. Therese's teachings of how to be holy, how to be a child of God, and to be close to God, she called "her little way of spiritual childhood." She learned that being holy is very simple – it involves trusting God with confidence and doing ordinary things in life with great love. Her "little ways" is about doing little things to please people, bring a smile to someone's face and heart, reaching out to let people know they are special – and accepting disappointments with patience not anger.

                                                          "My God ...I love Thee!"

                                                                               -St. Therese of Lisieux