Thursday, December 27, 2007
CHRISTMAS 2007.....
The house is quiet now. The children have all gone. The driveway is empty once more. The laughter, gaiety and sounds of Christmas seem to echo throughout the house. Stories of Christmas’ Past, the fun of the Present and hopes for the Future seem to resonate throughout.
Mother’s who are alone understand the emotions. Once such a big part of their lives to direct, encourage and take charge of……we now watch from the sidelines of the new generations coming along. Their lives have taken on the responsibilities we once had and it is as if, for a moment, we are looking back at ourselves.
Once upon a time I was born to two people who fought hard to make a living for my brother and I. Times were hard. I didn’t have a childhood like the stories I loved to read but I always knew that “out there” somewhere a world waited for me to take center stage. I was always eager to get to the next “time-line,” believing I would always have the Past and Present to come back to.
What one finds out is that the Past never stays the same. It is racing along with you, making the Past the Present and the Present the Future. Christmas after Christmas there are more names in our address book who have “gone on.” I was once the baby of the family and over the course of 75 years I am the last of the Andersen line.
It gives me the sense of history which I have tried to record for future generations. When I am gone, my children have no other source for information of the Andersen’s. I wanted them to “know” the elders as I had known them and committed to memory….a personality rather than a name and date under a picture peering back at them.
I was properly trained, tested by time and trial, and have lived through the many stages of life. I see my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren ready to take over the helm with excitement and zeal for life. I pray their path on the journey is one of hope and living outside one’s self. That is the only way to ever be happy. God first, family, friends and strangers being better off because we were on the road with them.
Life is not hard. Loving is easy. Character, honesty, trust, faith……these will only be carved into your life as you give the reins to God. He is to be trusted, He is always faithful, He builds your character through trials of fire and honesty when you can be trusted by Him.
The journey may be long or short but the end is always the same. When He calls, we are ready to answer and we are ready to go.
Essentially Esther
Mother’s who are alone understand the emotions. Once such a big part of their lives to direct, encourage and take charge of……we now watch from the sidelines of the new generations coming along. Their lives have taken on the responsibilities we once had and it is as if, for a moment, we are looking back at ourselves.
Once upon a time I was born to two people who fought hard to make a living for my brother and I. Times were hard. I didn’t have a childhood like the stories I loved to read but I always knew that “out there” somewhere a world waited for me to take center stage. I was always eager to get to the next “time-line,” believing I would always have the Past and Present to come back to.
What one finds out is that the Past never stays the same. It is racing along with you, making the Past the Present and the Present the Future. Christmas after Christmas there are more names in our address book who have “gone on.” I was once the baby of the family and over the course of 75 years I am the last of the Andersen line.
It gives me the sense of history which I have tried to record for future generations. When I am gone, my children have no other source for information of the Andersen’s. I wanted them to “know” the elders as I had known them and committed to memory….a personality rather than a name and date under a picture peering back at them.
I was properly trained, tested by time and trial, and have lived through the many stages of life. I see my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren ready to take over the helm with excitement and zeal for life. I pray their path on the journey is one of hope and living outside one’s self. That is the only way to ever be happy. God first, family, friends and strangers being better off because we were on the road with them.
Life is not hard. Loving is easy. Character, honesty, trust, faith……these will only be carved into your life as you give the reins to God. He is to be trusted, He is always faithful, He builds your character through trials of fire and honesty when you can be trusted by Him.
The journey may be long or short but the end is always the same. When He calls, we are ready to answer and we are ready to go.
Essentially Esther
