Menopausal thank-you notes

I was watching Jimmy Fallon yesterday and he wrote a book on his Thank You Notes, it made me laugh and think about all the things that I am thankful for.  The older I get, the more thankful I am.
 1. Thank you little brown spots that are appearing on my hands...you make me remember my Mom everyday.
  2.  A big thank you goes out to my brain....I love to search endlessly for things and besides, it gives me good exercise.
 3.  Also, thank you to gravity....I finally have the bigger cup size in my bra that I always wanted...
 4.  Thank you little black hairs in my chin...it has become an obsession to me now and I look forward everyday to our little ritual.
  5.  How can I forget to thank my knees for all the sounds that they are making...it keeps it real.
  6.  Thank you slow moving vehicle in the left hand lane...with you leading the way, I hardly notice the people behind me honking and giving me the bird.
  7.  I'm thankful I still like Steven Tyler...it makes getting older look cool
  8.  A big thank you to the little clerk who offered me the Senior Discount...how sweet....grrr!
  9.  Thank you to my granny panties, I don't have to pretend I like the thong anymore...
10.  And thank you to old friends, your faces have as many wrinkles as mine.

I'm sure there will be more thank you notes to come....it is always good to be thankful...because growing old is a privledge and I am living a very "privledged" life right now.  Have a good one peeps!

If I could turn back time...

I had the opportunity to spend the evening last Saturday night, with alot of old friends that I hadn't seen in 40 years.  Through Facebook, I feel like I know them better now, than I ever did.  We have all changed physically, but our spirits were the same.  That is what is so funny about growing older, if you never looked in the mirror, you would think you were that same kid, accept you had been hit by a truck and hurt all over....LOL  Fred Watkins made me feel good, he said I didn't look a day over "fabulous".  At this age, compliments get fewer and fewer, so thank you Fred.  If you keep in mind that right now, you are as young as you are ever gonna be.  It makes me not feel so old and since growing old is a privledge, I'm thankful for everyday of good health I have.

   I wish that my grandchildren could have grown up during the same time that I did.  We were all really blessed to have grown up in those golden decades of the 50's and 60's.  Things are just so complicated now.  When we were children, we could really just be children.  Our kids now a days, are so busy with so many activities and sports, that it leaves very little time to just be kids.  It also complicates the parents lives too.  Being that I am older, I have lived through all of it and I hate to admit it, but we did all the sports with our kids too.  You think it is so important and that if you don't do it, they will fall behind.  What you don't realize is, they won't make their living doing this and just a very small percentage will even make their High School teams and fewer than that will play in College.  Our daughter and son did play in High School and College, but when it was over, it was over.  Nobody in the work force cared at all what sports you played.  Experience and grades was all that really mattered.  Everything in moderation is the best way to go, just let them be kids first.  If they are gifted in sports or whatever it is, cream always comes to the top.  Whether you start them at 4 yrs. old or 8 yrs. old, it doesn't matter, they will be good if they are gifted.  I always said playing sports is like singing, either you have a good voice or you can't carry a tune.  If you are good, it will happen no matter what, but if you aren't, no amount of practice is really gonna make them a star.  How I wish for the simpler times of my youth.
    Growing old has its privledges, knowledge and experience, the only problem is, our kids still don't think we know anything...but that's ok, I didn't think mine did either.
   

I am my Mother...

It has been awhile since I have blogged, but with Mother's Day approaching, lots of thoughts are swirling around in my head.  I have been without my Mom now for 24 years...I was 34 yrs. old and I was a young Mom myself when Mom passed.  I wish I could have had the opportunity to have been older and not so busy.  There is so many things that I wish I could ask her.  I had to assume the role of the one that had all the answers, way too early in my life.  Because truth is, I didn't have a clue.  When you still have your Mom, you always have someone to ask, but when that is gone, you are the one that has to know what to do.  I wonder if my Mom ever felt like that when she was younger?  It always seemed that my Mom always had the answers.  I not only lost my Mom, but I also lost my Dad at the same time.  Shortly after they died, we moved our family and our lives to Indianapolis.  When I look back on that, I just wonder how we ever did it.  We moved everything we owned to Indy and stored it in a storage unit.  We moved into an apt. and we put our kids in a new school.  For the next year, we built our new home.  It was challenging, but we made it.   Our kids emmersed themselves in sports and our lives and our friends were a part of each kids team.  They excelled beyond our expectations and even though these were very busy times, they were the best times of our lives.  I wonder now, if our grandkids will love sports like their parents did.  I am looking forward to those thrilling moments watching them achieve.  Whatever interests they choose, will be a joy to see.  I know my kids look to Rich and I to have all the answers now, but in reality, we are still struggling with that ourselves.   Do you ever feel wise?  I know you feel old, but when does that wiseness come?  When do you feel accomplished, that you have done what you wanted to do and that you are happy with who you are?  I guess, I always felt like my parents knew all the answers and that they didn't feel insecure, but now that I am getting close to their age when they passed away, I realize that they probably felt the same way I do...If Mom was still here...I could ask her these questions...it never occurrred to me to ask her before she died....
   On this Mother's Day...I want to honor my Mom and thank her for the life that she gave me.  If you are lucky enough to still have your Mom, ask her some questions....she will be glad that you did and so will you.  Never pass up a moment to find out what she is feeling....for someday....we will be there....feeling exactly the same way.  Happy Mother's Day all you beautiful Moms!