How things change

Nothing ever stays the same. I do believe that everything is either growing or dying (or is it dieing?). Over time, my body has grown. Some people are mere shadows of their former selves, sadly due to age, disease, or diet. My former self is a mere shadow of me. (See http://www.anzwers.org/free/navyscpo8/ctrschool10AR5.html ) My wife and I see things like wedding photos of our current friends and blurt out "What the H$^% happens to people?" or as a Waylon Jennings song says = "If I'd known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself". However, another Waylon song says "I may be used, but baby I ain't used up". Thank God for every day He gives me.

Now to the point - both my children have blogs. They are wonderful blogs. They are wonderful children. Actually they are 30+ adults, but they will always be my "babies". It used to fry me when my mother said that about me.

They actually talk to each other. They call on the phone. They visit when my daughter is in town (less than 4 months and counting). They refer to each other's blogs. What a change. For most of their growing up years their conversations consisted of "Tell (the other one) to quit touching me". or "(The other one) is on my side of the seat".

We talked as a family. We made it a point to eat dinner together when I was in town. We found out years later that some survey showed that successful kids came from families that ate dinner together. Much of our conversation was the telling of jokes and being rowdy in fashions that defy ettiquette, but we ate together. Mostly Scott ate meat and mashed potatoes - I don't really remember what Anslie ate, but I remember her gagging because I tried to make her eat a (yes, one) bean. Maybe that is why she hates Wal-Mart - because there is a stream of consciousness going from the check out line to that bean.

I have become my uncles. Most of the boys are not babies anymore. (Mamas don't let your cowboys grow up be babies).

Anything that is not growing is dying. I am blessed to be able to say that my family is both growing and growing up.