The Wonder Years


The wonder years...
The original reference to the wonder years, before the T.V. show hijacked it, described the wonderment of youth: new sights, sounds, and places. Young eyes widen at the sight of their first shiny Christmas tree or a brand new bike. Correction, brand new iPad.
Youth is about discovery. Invigorating!
Babies discover fingers and toes; toddlers discover how to walk and run; two-year-olds discover everything within reach. Moms wonder, "How did he reach that?!"
Fast forward.
My days and years are still filled with discovery. Every day, I think, "What is that about?" But now much of the wonderment is about time. I wonder how long...
How many years will we have in retirement? When and where to retire? Where will other family members land?
How many more Christmases will we have to celebrate with aging parents? Who will be with us in 10 or 20 years?
The current wonder years.
Someone recently commented that their health issues brought home the reality of mortality. I understand. My husband and father-in-law both encountered heart issues (and surgeries) at relatively young ages. I took a different job 12 years ago in the event I had to fly solo. We continue to push through the reality, and my father-in-law is rounding the corner towards 88 years.
If we try to predict who will be with us in 10 or 20 years, I'm sure we will be surprised--like the UCF Knights beating the AuburnTigers in the 2018 Peach Bowl.
Aha, the wonder years.
Rewind.
If I knew then what I know now, I likely would not have made the same turns. And if I knew my Nissan would be the last car we would buy, I probably would have made a slightly different choice. But it would still be red. I wonder, where did I put the keys?
Definitely, the wonder years.
~ LowTide explorer, Carolyn Fjeran


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