"Memories--are all the aged have. The young have hopes and dreams, while the old hold the remains of them in their hands and wonder what happened to their lives" p. 11, The Gift Of Rain" Tan Twan Eng. (An excellent book.)
No, I think the aged have more than memories. However, there is much truth in the second sentence...many old people do wonder what happened to their lives. Sometimes when I am people watching, and see people I assume to be about my age, I try to imagine them as your children and wonder what transpired in their lives. What have they experienced? Are they surprised about how life unfolded? Were their dreams realized?
Reflection on my life is a prompt for gratitude. Somehow I made a life and so many of the blessings of it are attributable to Joanne. My first unsuccessful attempt at college was a source of some embarrassment to me. However, had I been successful, likely I would never have met Joanne! So, I should really write an ode to failure. My stint in the Marines allowed me to mature enough to succeed in college and that's where I met her...on my second try. Life often makes the most sense in the rear view mirror. What seems random at the time it happens gains clarity in retrospect.
Life in the land of grief is good...yes, I miss her terribly...but I have memories and more.
Takk for alt,
Al
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