Summing up my life in these two questions will certainly help me focus on what I consider to be the most important aspects of the last seventy-six years. Of course, this is only my perspective of my life, and only from the perspective that I have today.
Looking back to where I have been I see a very unhappy child, raised without nurturing. There were parents, two in the beginning. There was an older brother, not my ally. I knew it was a place that caused me great anguish, but I accepted it as normal. Today I know better; it was anything but normal. However, that childhood did have an enormous impact on who I am today.
When I became an adult at the ripe old age of eighteen, I got married and had children. I had wanted to attend college, for I loved school. In spite of knowing that I really wanted to wait to get married, I went ahead and did that, mostly in order to get out of a violent household. My marriage lasted for fourteen years and then ended in divorce. I was faced with taking care of two children on my own with only harassment from their father. It began the most challenging and the most exciting time of my life.
With the help of some great people, I spent the next few years learning about myself. I learned what a special person I was, and therefore, learned how special other people were also. I learned that the world was full of wonderful things and wonderful people, and I went on a quest to discover all I could about both.
I excelled in my business career but still wanted to fulfill my dream of attending college. In my forties, I decided to walk away from a lucrative business career in management and marketing to become a fulltime student. It was one of the best decisions of my life. Ultimately, I earned undergraduate and graduate degrees; next, came a license as a marriage family counselor. Combined with my degrees and license I became a practicing mental health therapist and later an instructor in a professional counseling program at a university. Years passed as I pursued both careers and that part of my life was good.
My personal life was not always as good. Over the years there were many joys, and many challenges in my family life. One of my greatest joys was when my son got married and he and his wife gave me two wonderful granddaughters. There were many good years having these beautiful girls in my life, attending dance events, school events, and holiday celebrations. They were the light of my life! Alas, that changed, and this light has gone dim, for I have not seen these granddaughters in several years. My hope is that someday I will be in their lives once again.
While that part of my family life has been challenging, the other part of my family, life with my daughter has been interesting and exciting. When my daughter was young, we had issues, but we worked on those issues and now we are very close. Close emotionally, and close geographically. Really close geographically – we live together! Sheri has been there for me through many challenges, most notably my recent health issues. I am very grateful to have her in my life.
Now looking beyond my current seventy-six years leads me to where I am going next. That’s easy. I am going to continue to explore what is important to me—people and personal growth. I will do this through my writing, my teaching, my travels, and my relationships with the people in my life. I have discovered that by being the best I am capable of being, I offer the best to others and this then helps me to better recognize the best in others.
Where have you been? Where are you now? Where will you be tomorrow?
Change, Grow, Evolve
©bcreed
Senior Metamorphosis Moments 