Another Year Older

As any child, I was always excited for my next birthday. I remember when I turned 10 I thought it was truly momentous. To have reached the 2 digit mark...WOW! I smile now as I think of that day...I got my first bike that year. I felt like I was given a first taste of independence which made me feel very grown up. Of course, I wasn't allowed to ride the bike beyond where my parents could see me...down about 3 houses and back unless on a bike ride with one of them for the first few months. Now kids get bikes before they start school and often are on their second or third one by the time they are 10. Times do change....as do people. Turning 57 is not something I was looking forward to. I wasn't dreading it, but the number speaks for itself...I am not all that young anymore Over the years November has become my least favorite month of the year. Not just because of the fact it is my marker for age, but it is a dreary month that brings rain, wind, and gray which usually stays with us here in this area steadily for months. That is kind of how I felt this year with a dripping nose, swollen eyes, my voice was gone, and I felt like my energy was lost and I was wilting like the remaining leaves on the trees barely hanging on. There were a few rays of sunshine that day. To me those rays were symbolic of the love of family and friends who brightened my day with their warmth and kindness. I needed them. One is never to old to need to feel loved and cared for. I am grateful for what the years have brought me..... gifts more precious than anything, the people I call my family and friends. With them, it doesn't matter how old I may be, I will feel like a kid with a new bike each passing year... except I find I no longer yearn for that independence as much as I do the companionship of loved ones to ride through life with.