I received a very poignant E-mail from a dear and precious old friend a couple of days ago that really hits the nail on the head,…that really gets to the heart of things,…that pretty much says it all. I do not know who the author is or by what name they are called. The words of the E-mail carry tremendous meaning and power as they speak right to the heart of everyone’s life, regardless of who they are, where they live, what they do, or how old they happen to be. Please permit me to share these wonderful words. Read this blog slowly. Contemplate the words and the story they are telling you. Think about what is being said and how it impacts your own life.

Time marches on one second at a time, sixty seconds per minute, sixty minutes per hour and twenty-four hours per day…30 days for a month and 365 days in a year. But how many years are there in a person’s lifetime? Time never stops. It never rewinds and re-runs again. Yesterday is gone forever. We all pass by this world once. We all get one shot to do something great and meaningful that will hopefully make this world a better place after we leave it, than it was when we entered it.

One of the three worst killer diseases to personal success is called procrastination. It sneaks up on you and robs you of years of your life and untold personal production and related financial rewards. The words I am about to share with you are going to slap you procrastinators right in the face….don’t waste your youth! Your personal time clock is always ticking. It never stops until the day you die.

Every human being has a date of birth and a date of death. Between those two dates is a “dash.” It represents the length of time that the person lived here on earth. God tells us all in His Word, The Holy Bible, that our days to live on the earth are predetermined and fixed. God alone knows the length of time represented by our individual “dashes.” It is a short time when compared to eternity which we will all face after our personal dates of death.

A question please……What are you going to do with your dash?

THE BACK NINE HOLES AND THEN IT IS WINTER

You know,…time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years. It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. Yet in a funny sort of way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all of the years went. I know that I lived them all. I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams.

But, here it is…the back nine of my life and it catches me by total surprise.. How did I get here so fast? Where did all those years go, and where did my youth go?

I remember seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that I was only on the first hole and the back nine was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

But, here it is…My friends are retired and their hair is turning gray,…or white,…or falling out. They move slower and I see an older person now. Some are in better and some worse shape than me…but, I see the great change…Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant…but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we’d become.


Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat anymore…it is mandatory! Because if I don’t on my own free will,…I just fall asleep right where I sit!

And so,…now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did! But, at least I know, that though I’m on the back nine, and I am not sure how long it will last,…this I know, that when it’s over for me on this earth…it’s really over. And a new adventure will begin! Yes, I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn’t done…things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I’m happy to have done. It’s all in a lifetime….everyone’s lifetime. Some will, some won’t,…so what!

So, if you are not on the back nine yet,…let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly! Don’t put things off too long! Life goes by quickly. So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether you are on the back nine or not! You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life…so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember…and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!

“Life” is a gift to you. The manner and way that you live your life is your gift back to those who come after you. Make it a fantastic one. LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY TODAY! DO SOMETHING FUN AND MAYBE EVEN A LITTLE CRAZY! BE HAPPY! HAVE A GREAT DAY! Remember,…“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. LIVE HAPPY IN 2015 AND BEYOND!

Lastly, consider this:

*  Your kids are becoming you,…but your grandchildren are perfect!

*  Going out is good…coming home is better!

*  You forget names,…But it’s OK because some people forgot they even knew you!

*  You realize you are never going to be really good at anything like golf.

*  The things you used to care to do, you aren’t as interested in anymore, but you really do care that you aren’t as interested.

*  You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV “ON” than you do in a bed. It’s called “pre-sleep.”

*  You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” switch.

*  You tend to use more four letter words,… like “what?”…and “when?”…??

*  You notice everything that they sell in stores is “sleeveless” ??!!

*  What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

*  Everybody whispers.

*  You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet…two of which you will never wear.

*  But old is good in some things: Old Songs, Old Movies, and best of all OLD FRIENDS!

Stay well, “OLD FRIEND!” And send this on to your own other OLD FRIENDS and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!…

It’s Not What You Gather, But what You Scatter That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived.

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE,…SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

 

Peace and Love to All of You………………Poppa Bear