Happy Birthday to Me: The Best is Yet to Be

note: the publish date says Dec. 25, but it’s really the 24th as I write this.

Today is my birthday. Not just any birthday, but the Big 5-0. The birthday I’ve been dreading for years.

Somehow I’d gotten the idea that the age of 50 was the beginning of the end, or something. I certainly wasn’t looking at being 50 as an assest. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking in recent weeks though, and I have decided that this attitude is something that needs to fade into the past along with the decade of the 40’s.

I know lots of people that are older than I am. Many of them don’t seem any older to me, but I know that they are. As I’ve thought about people I know that are older than I, I have discovered that they all do cool and amazing things. Some of those things they didn’t even start doing until they were past 50. For instance, there is Dick who is perhaps old enough to be my father. He sings in the church choir even though it’s difficult for him to climb the steps to the choir loft with a foot that gives him trouble all the time. He takes voice lessons and sings in recitals. Then there is my dear friend Kerry who holds two jobs, sings, paints, quilts, and writes books to give to all her neices and nephews and a few others.  Wow!  We go walking together so I know she’s in decent shape too. Linda, who is about 15 years ahead of me in the age range,  hikes in Colorado where she and her husband moved only a year ago. She leads Bible studies and does tons of other stuff too, and this all while dealing with health issues as well.  My aunt Martha has lost a kidney and is diabetic, but manages to care for her handicapped granddaughter many days during the week, volunteers at a hospital, and goes to a health club to keep fit. Jo has survived a divorce, lost lots of weight and is looking super, is still a great teacher after more than 30 years, and is winning another fight with breast cancer. And she has a sense of humor to boot! The list could go on; I’ve discovered that doing interesting and valuable and fun things is not just for those in the realm of the young, or even the middle-aged.

So now I’m beginning to think that perhaps the best years of my life may be yet to come. Compared to when I was say 35, I am more confident, wiser, sassier, and I no longer have children living at home. I also laugh easier and longer, feel freer to be me than I ever have, and care less about what others may think. I am full of potential!

Controversy: The Golden Compass

I read with interest as the emails started flying regarding the movie, called The Golden Compass. The emails I read were on the intra-district network of the rural school district where I spend most of my waking hours five days a week. I’m sure I should pay more attention to what is going on in the media; admittedly I had not heard of this movie until I started reading the emails. I can’t do anything about what my first graders watch or read, and my own kids, thankfully, are adults now so media is just one less thing for me to worry about at this point.

Many of the emails I read were suggesting that children be discouraged from watching the movie, which is, I read, based on a book written by “an atheist author”.  There was at least one email from someone with the opposite point of view. This email discussion ended with one email in particular that spoke with a voice of reason, suggesting that children watch the movie with caring adults and then discuss it.

Sad to say, there was a time when I would have been one of those who would have said NO to this movie solely based on the fact that Christians I associated with, and/or respected, said it was evil. The fact that the book was written by an alleged atheist would have been enough “fact” for me. Yes, I was one of those radicals that wouldn’t even let my kids watch the Smurfs; poor little blue guys, I don’t even remember what evil they were supposedly promoting. I hereby publicly repent of being too lazy to think for myself and act accordingly, as well as being too self righteous to consider other points of view. Perhaps I should also repent of being so overly protective that I drove one of my children straight to some of the things from which I was trying to protect him. God, forgive me.

I love many things about the Episcopal Church, not the least of which is that I am encouraged to think and prayerfully consider multiple points of view and even, at times, admit that perhaps two or more points of view have merit. In the past two years I have acted as quite the adolescent in getting a charge out of reading things that in my past I would have considered to be heretical, or even demonic, and I know I am better for it.

What would I do today if I had children wanting to see The Golden Compass? First, I would read the book to find out for myself what all the fuss is about. Unless I deemed the kids to be too young to see the movie, we would then watch it together and talk about it later. The children would learn things, I would learn things, and perhaps we’d all be better for the experience.

For additional information, readers are encouraged to read this Review of the movie The Golden Compass.

A Teacher’s Joy

Snowflakes fall as little blessings from the sky,

They pile up,

And up,

Until

NO SCHOOL!!!  Yeah!

Advent: Comes the Light

Alone in the darkness, I lit the first candle on my advent wreath. Suddenly, light in the darkness. Light with the hope of more light to come.

Light of All Lights,

I gaze at the light that signals your coming, and expectation grows in my heart. Light in the darkness, what does this mean? Things hidden will be hidden no longer. Fear is vanquished as dark shadows are swallowed up in brightness. Warmth and healing are on the way. I am not alone.

Come Lord Jesus, come.