In the Rearview Mirror

Time Goes On

It seems like only a few weeks ago we were celebrating New Year’s Eve 2013, and yet the next holiday is Thanksgiving already.  Our little granddaughters have already had almost one whole year of additional wonderful progress.  The oldest of my three youngest granddaughters went from first grade to almost half way through second grade.  Later in the high school years the progress isn’t as noticeable from year to year, but the first through sixth grades you couldn’t ignore the progress if you tried.  My seven year old has gone from being just one of my grandbabies to becoming an avid reader.  She keeps a large collection of books handy and is reading even when traveling to and from school.

Some of my best (intelligent) conversations as of late have been with my seven year old granddaughter.  It seems I’ve been waiting for a long time to have a little partner like her to hang out with.  She has her own set of golf clubs (real ones) that Santa brought her a couple of Christmases ago (too soon I might add) she wasn’t ready for them back when she got them, but she is now.  We actually played a round of golf this summer.  She had maybe four drives from the tee that amazed me.  Those drives were not expected at her age level.  We also spend more than our fair share of time at mini golf, and at the park.  I love her competitive spirit.  I can’t brag that she gets that competitive spirit from me because fortunately its part of the fiber of our family (especially my wife, the grandmother).

Within this year of 2013 our whole family has done very well, and anyone that cannot see forward progress, I am glad to say, that they have maintained and not lost any ground.  One other thing about my seven year old granddaughter is that she is a leader to the other (three and five year old) granddaughters and is even reading books to them already. 

While the economy isn’t where it needs to be, and I consider it stagnant, I am glad to say that we are maintaining, and gaining in some areas.  No accident to be sure, great discipline during the years of plenty when everyone was taking equity out of their homes we fought the urge to join them.  We even managed to not get caught up in the recent losses of the Stock Market because I consider it gambling as an investment tool (and a gamble that I am not willing to be a part of).   The lessons taught by my parents by example have served me well.  The attitude of keeping your nose to the grindstone, have paid off in dividends at the end of the work life journey for me (personally).  Many of today’s youth (even young adults) would give you a confused look if you talked to them about keeping your nose to the grindstone.  We in our generation are doing them a disservice if we don’t share our experiences with our young family members.

Some of my children tell me that they are surprising themselves when they say or do something that reminds them of me or their mother.  In other words their thinking, decisions and some of their actions are beginning to reflect what they may have learned from growing up.  I believe there is a saying out there that sooner or later we turn into our parents.  If that is the case, I am glad that we may have had some influence in their thinking process.

 

I don’t really believe that time (the present year) is going by faster than usual.  It’s just that our family is a large one (seven children) and it keeps growing as time goes on.  The relationship circle keeps expending, and more time is required of all of us in regards to maintaining healthy relationships with sons, daughters, grandchildren, cousins, in-laws, friends, etc., consequently the hours in a day are barely sufficient for all the interactions needed and required.  I think back to the time when my wife and I were beginning, and how the year seemed to move very slowly, because it was just the two of us.  The best is yet to come…..