During your lifetime there will be experiences, adventures, and people who form you into the person that you end up becoming. I'm sure that on February 26, 1990, when my brother and I were born only weighing 2 and 3 pounds, my mom had no idea what our futures held. I'm sure she had dreams of us becoming famous (I promise mom, it will happen sooner or later) and even bigger dreams of us being healthy, loving adults. As one of four, I can honestly say my parents have done something right, and not trying to be biased, but we all pretty much kick ass.
Taylor Swift was given a talent in which she could affect people in a positive way, through music. I was given the gift to do the same thing, but through writing. (Sometimes I like to believe that I am just as cool as her, just go with it.)
Growing up we all obviously have huge plans for ourselves. What kind of people would we be if we sat around and thought, "when I grow up I want to be homeless, unsuccessful, unloved, and poor." We all have dreams, big or small, and that is one of the reasons why I love meeting new people. With my job, I am able to interact with a wide variety of people. Some are as old as 95, others are as young as 3. What amazes me most is to sit down and talk to them, both so different in age, and to hear their thoughts about life, love, and happiness.
Last week I interviewed a 95 year old World War II veteran. While he didn't remember much because, "hell, there's 90 years of stuff in this head of mine," he did remember those events that made a huge impact on his life. His wedding day, where and when his two sons were born, what it felt like when he was hiding in a fox hole during the Battle of the Bulge, and the day that he retired with honors from the military. While I am sure that his life was full of other moments, those were the only things that he could remember with detail, and he told me it was because those were the times that he felt some type of extreme emotion.
This past summer when I would sit down with my niece Sarah, she would tell me all about her day, and at dinner time, she would usually tell me what her favorite part of the day was. If I was to ask her for any detail from the day before though, she would usually say, "Now Jo Jo, that was yesterday, I don't remember!" with her hands on her hip. However, you will catch her talking about last summer at my parents cabin, and all of the memories she made with family. She remembers burying a treasure box with Tomi Jean, hiking with Grandaddy, laughing with GiGi, and being thrown around by 'the strongest man ever,' Dexter. She remembers us fishing together, and her catching a way bigger fish than me. She remembers these things because those are the times that so far in her young life, that she has been the happiest and have felt the most love.
What I am getting at is, as we get older and go through life, there will be times that we remember when we are 95, and times that will slowly fade away. No matter what age though, I think that those times spent with the people that you love most, will be the ones that out shine any other memory that you make. Be smart when you choose who to give your heart and time to. Love your family, love yourself, and love someone who loves both of those things just as much as you do. Years down the road when you are looking back at your life, you will want to remember the good times, the times that made your heart skip a couple of beats, and make you take a step back and think how lucky you have been to live such a life full of love and happiness.
Also, just for a little comic relief and the fact that I just realized not too long ago that due to the way I was positioned in this picture, the door says dinomite ass. Throwing it back to 1995, when I was just a little girl with all kinds of crazy dreams, not much has changed, except for I wish I still had that shirt.
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