It's Saturday, and the day is about to be capped by a gathering of old friends. It makes me think back to those days when work was what we handed in every class, play was sometimes just hanging around the Dairy Queen, and responsibilities was taking out the trash and drying the dishes. Now, thirty years later, we do look at life in a different life, more work, more responsibilities and less play.

Think back to an earlier blog of mine, where I discussed the simple pleasures of life. We all need an escape sometimes, and for me that is often just a walk as part of my weekly regimen. I find that I can concentrate on things other than what bothers me on home turf, and it is liberating to feel.

Older and wiser, I look into each day with an eye to making it better. This is eminently difficult, being unemployed, but doing so makes the days seem more important. I know what my responsibilities are, I know what my limitations are and I know that I can make a difference. Sometimes that is the smile I give someone who doesn't remember what a smile is for; an inquiry of a shopclerk as to how her day is going; a hearty "thank-you" to the serviceman of my car.

I am also coming to grips with the widowhood that envelops me, the grief becoming a smaller part of me none the less. Coming into the third year, I learned that the second was incredibly lonely, and that even community wasn't as helpful as it was in the beginning. I need to face my fears and anxieties head on every day and dig deep to recognize exactly what they were. And I need to trust Him more, the Maker and Savior of my life.

So, to the friends of more than thirty years, I toast to long life and prosperity in your lives. For my friends of lesser time, I appreciate every minute I've been able to spend with you all, and realize that some of you have made a long-lasting impact on me as a person. Thank you.

Until later,

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