All Those Years

Time waits for no man, is the old saying. It's certainly the case for me. Today I turn 45 and honestly, I'm not sure where the last half of my life has gone. When people say your life is a set of seasons, I tend to agree with the sentiment.

Since I left the US Navy in the early 1990s, I've experienced several distinct "seasons": a wandering time; a settling down; and a questioning time. The first two seem obvious enough and most people have experienced those in their own lives. For me the wandering time was a tough one. I'd gone from the security of the military into a recession and job uncertainty (sound familiar?). It was years until I found steady employment and that followed a move to another state.

The settling time followed when I met and dated my wife, Patty. We got married and now have four beautiful children. During this time I set my writing aside for family. I'd always believed writing would be a major part of my life since it had been foundational for me, carrying me through difficult stretches in the past. As it turned out, I never gave up writing, it just lay dormant for a time. After I started college, I realized writing did have a place in my life and I haven't looked back since. So it was a win-win: marriage & kids, and the revival of my writing.

Finally comes the questioning time. Maybe for you it's wondering what you're going to do with your life, or have you been a success in the eyes of your parents and friends. Perhaps it's whether you lived up to your expectations or promise. I still grappled with what I wanted to be when I grew up but that paled in comparison to the world of liver disease. That's when the questions became fast and furious: why did this happen now, with our fourth child? How can we keep our family together when we're physically separated? Will the older children be okay? Will our marriage survive the strain? I know those of you who've experienced liver disease have asked some or all of these same questions. There are no "right" answers. It's a matter of survival and faith.

So on this occasion of my 45th birthday, I urge you to recall the seasons of your life. Review what you've done well, maybe not so well and what you wish you'd done differently. But then do me a favor - close the book, don't look back again. Keep your eyes on the road ahead and make those current seasons count.