Take a moment to list some situations that you feel were the most challenging in your lifetime. As I look back I think the death of my dad when I was five certainly changed the rest of my life, our move to California when I was ten, and my decision to go to college after high school. All were turning points in my life. Changing my major from engineering to dance opened up new career possibilities, and my choice of a marriage partner definitely changed my entire future. Probably the biggest challenge in my adult life was the decision to divorce my husband and start over again alone as a single parent. (Photo on the left, me with my sons in No. California at the beach on vacation.)
Each person has different items or situations that they’ve had to deal with. Some individuals were born with physical handicaps or difficult family situations. As a youth you always seem to be comparing yourself with others, especially friends who have something that you don’t. Comparisons about life’s unfairness can be a dead end for many and sometimes leads to depression or suicides in families. Once you realize life is unfair and all your expectations, dreams and goals will not be achieved, it makes it easier to go forward. (Below is a photo of my first three sons with their dad.)
Older family members can provide insights and wisdom, having already passed this way before, but do we listen to them? And if you are one of those seasoned adults, do you take time to share what you’ve learned along the way with your loved ones? It’s time now to take time to record your life’s experiences.
In high school, my English teacher had my class write an essay on “All roads are not freeways.” At the time freeways were a new development in our society and greatly facilitated faster travel, especially in California, making travel much speedier. But were there are times in your life when you took a short cut, or side trip that enriched your life greatly. Did anything like that happen to you? Are there still some adventures you’d like to have? Are there some items on your bucket list that haven’t been crossed off?
Hopefully high on your to do list is leaving a record of your legacy for your family. What you learned along the way or traps to avoid at all costs you’d like to share. Just giving your posterity an assurance that if they slow down they’ll still get there okay is important.