Day 2191 Snapshot

​

Whenever I see this old photo, it reminds me of that last scene in The Terminator, a snapshot of my younger self, frozen in time. Rosarito, Mexico, 1985. That young girl always seemed to be up for an adventure. And just like Sarah Connor, I had no idea where life would lead me, but I was preparing for whatever challenges it might throw my way. At least I never had a robot sent back from the future to kill me, at least not yet! 

Life seems to fly by as fast as a flashbulb, with each stage appearing in our memories as clear as a still photograph. Not all memories are good, but each one has brought me to where I am today, so I try to live with no regrets.

February 27 marks the anniversary of my dad’s passing, and every year I’m taken aback by how much time has gone by. How on earth can it have been eleven years already? In some ways it feels like yesterday. He was certainly larger than life, loud, energetic, and always ready with a good story, whether it was true or not. He was endlessly entertaining to everyone in the room. Charisma is something some people are simply born with, and he had it in spades.

I still have people stop me to tell me how important he was in their lives, encouraging them toward a career path or offering steady advice during a family crisis. He spent most of his life as a school administrator, making a positive impact on countless children who still remember him fondly today. I realized early on that I shared him with our community, and I was always proud to be his daughter.

I’m sure he would have been mad if he’d known he would die so young, he enjoyed life too much. He loved sailing, golfing, day drinking, listening to Eagles, birdwatching, gardening, traveling, his wife, his kids, his community… I could go on all day. He loved the world around him and was thankful for every day he was here.

Someday we’ll look back on today, on a photograph or a fleeting memory, and realize this moment, too, was shaping us. My hope is that we live in a way that gives us something to be grateful for when we do. And if we’re lucky, we’ll leave behind a legacy of kindness and joy that lingers long after we’re gone.  Life is always an adventure and the road ahead isn't always clear but it always turns out to be worth the journey. 

“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.” ~ Robert Frost (my dads favorite poet).