My Ten

Count them, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 ... true blue, loyal, golden; my ten. Ten people who I entrust with the title friend. Ten people who put up with me. I have said it before, I will say it again ... I am blessed. Some of these people I have not seen in a long time, however, the bond was made and it is steel strong. When we do come together there is no time lost, other then looking a "tad" older nothing changes, we just pick up and go on and on and on ...

There is no order, no ranking in their standing. They are all number one! They all possess the same quality ... they are a friend, they are my friend. Thank you God.

Friendship

Throughout all these years one would think that there would be a tremendous accumulation of friends. After all, almost 60 years of mingling and mulling around. Try and put a number to the people that you have come in contact with, spent time with, conversed with. No doubt the numbers are enormously high. And there are those who enjoy a boast of those numbers, however, there comes a point for others (me) when the endearment of "friend" is a closely guarded treasure and only awarded to the best. Where would I dare to entrust my heart but to that of a friend.

That surely must give you the insight to see that friends I have are far and few between, but those that I do have are golden. My mother always said that acquaintances are many, friends few. I'm sure I can count on my hands my friends and probably with fingers left over ... lets see ...hmmmm ... counting ... my goodness ... no fingers left over and none borrowed ... I am so very blessed.

Family

Trust no one but your immediate family. That is something someone once told my son. Its that simple, it doesn't need a lot of words, it doesn't need explanation ... trust no one but your immediate family.

Oh, in life we have to trust others and most often we do and in God's goodness I believe that most people are good and so, yes, ...yes we trust.

But I think there are depths to trust and to our family and only our family do we place our deepest trust where you give your heart and place your life.

To you, my family, who has my heart and my life.

Faith

....always.

Focus - Faith, Family, Friends

What's important? I mean really! What is truly important? There are always wants and always will be but for many of us if we look closely and close our mouths to complaining for even just a moment (making mental note to self) we will find everything we need we have.

So what's the problem? When we take a look around what do we see? Do we appreciate that which God has given? Can't buy any of it. Do we appreciate what those in our Families do for us? Couldn't afford to hire their skills and abilities and if we could, there is no price tag that would include love. To have a Friend are we a Friend? This is probably one of the most important positions there is.

I'll Be a Silver Fox

As on a few mornings during the week I'm at my dear friend's house. Her granddaughter enters the room and I'm aware (as I'm not really paying attention) of gentle talk behind me ... her and her nana in conversation which amounts to the fact that "she has white hair". Oh my goodness, how funny.

See right now I have lots of color hair, blonde, brownish, lite brown and quite a bit of silver ... I am, for the first time in many years, letting my hair grow out to its now natural state (she says white, I like to say silver!). Now, she sees me every week and has for most of her life but the growth now is much more then noticeable, its in your face noticeable! The game plan has been and will be to add highlights, lowlights, whatever, to the silver as it grows out. Right now I'm liking what this is doing and it will be so much easier then an every 4 to 6 week coloring. I think it will take another few cuts to get all the old color off then to add just this touch of highlighting. I really can't wait to see how this will look, so far the grow out highlighting process has been very pretty.

And so ... birthday approaching in just over a month, four plus weeks of hair growth ... becoming more silver, more silver ... like a silver fox. Well, now, I'm not sure that I was ever a fox but you know what ... its my Fifth Season and yes, I'll be a silver fox! Besides, if I really don't like it there's always the every 4 to 6 week option again. Then I'll just be a fox.

Experience, Savor, Treasure

Life happens ... it really does. One day you're 30 years old and the next, almost 60. "They" told me it would happen like that, didn't believe them, now I do. I find myself telling young ones the same thing, oooooh, did I say that? I'm one of them??

The day following my 59th birthday, beginning my 60th year, I want to experience, to savor, to treasure that day and all the days that follow from there. I am very excited about this. And I truly think that this is the time, there would be no other. After all this time, we know what's right, what's truly important and how to work and when to play and to celebrate life and that's what I'm going to do.

A single step ...

...and I've been walking quite a while now, fast approaching the age of 59, I am on the horizon of 60. They call this the new 40 ... life now begins at 60! I met a woman last night who turned 60 this past spring and said that it hadn't phased her one bit. (Yay!) Others have found this new 60 troubling. I find the growing older to be something more then ok!

I've lived spring, summer, fall and winter and only by living are the lessons learned. There has been wonderment, happiness, silliness, sadness, lonely, sorrow, inspiration, success ... I could go on and on with adjectives, but I think you get the picture. I see 60 and getting older as a whole new season ... I call it The Fifth Season. We've done the 4 seasons ... we begin in spring - a new life; blossoming throughout summer; gloriously splendid in fall and arrive at winter void of blooms and color. However, winter holds a charm all its own. Beyond winter we find a clean palet so that we can pick and choose from which we have sampled and tasted during our walk.

I do have to say though, that the body does not cooperate as well any more with the mind which shouts with glorious invigoration that I'm still 18, (and somedays maybe 16!) but the aches, pain and, at times, limited abilities, speak a different truth. But I'm seeing things I've never seen before, oh, I'm in the same place, but a different mindset. There just aren't bad hair days anymore.

And so it is, the four seasons - we begin in the spring of new life, blossom and bloom throughout summer, gloriously splendid and seasoned come fall and arrive at winter's stillness to take it all in. Putting it all together .... the best is yet to come, The Fifth Season!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzuChinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC