Another Birthday

Another birthday has come and gone.

It's been forty-five of them for those of you who like to keep count. I generally don't track them too closely.

I'm not too hung up on "having birthdays", although I am not one who feels the need to receive very special recognition on that day. In many ways, it's just another day. Maybe a day to celebrate another year of living, another year of being with those who love you, but not a day that I need to be placed upon a pedestal or treated with some special honor.

The years do seem to be going by faster as life becomes more hectic. I fear that getting to this mid-life age will only cause the time to go by even faster.

I keep a few jars of marbles near my nightstand. Years ago I purchased several bags of marbles and counted-out enough of them to represent the remaining weeks in my life should I live to be 95 or 100 or something of the sort. I have faithfully removed one marble from these jars each week. The "countdown" serves as a great reminder of how short life really is.

Our time here on earth is limited. I believe in living life with no regrets, but within reason. Sometimes it is difficult to maintain that balance. Certainly the responsibility of a family has made "within reason" different than when I was young and single. That standard will likely continue to change through the family life continuum.