The older I get, the more I realize…
…that happiness has little to do with one’s financial status in life.
…that I’ve allowed the opinions of others to have too much power in my life.
…how foolish it is to expect things to remain the same. They don’t.
…that it was through the kindness and generosity of others that I came to recognize the God-given gifts with which I was blessed.
…that faith in God and faith in the Catholic Church, as an institution, are two very different realities.
…how little I actually know about life.
…what a minuscule difference I’ve actually made in the world.
…how blessed I was to be born to my father and mother.
…how fortunate I was to live my life in the San Francisco Bay Area.
…how grateful I am for the opportunity to earn an undergraduate degree at Santa Clara University and a graduate degree at the University of San Francisco.
…that Kathy is probably the only woman in the world who would have put up with me for all these years.
…how difficult it must have been for my three boys to attend the high school in which I taught.
…that coffee is not something I will learn to like.
…that there is a long-term cost to all those summer tans I worked so hard to get in my younger years.
…that older people don’t drive slowly because they are overly-cautious. We drive slowly because we’re not in a hurry to get anywhere.
…that technology is both a blessing and a curse.
…that horseback riding is over-rated.
…that few things in life compare to a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies.
…that the best thing to make for dinner is reservations.
…that autumn is the absolute best season of the year.
…how important it is to drink water — lots of water — every day.
…that no matter what I say or what I write, some people will disagree with me.
…that it is unfair to judge my elementary school classmates today by the memories I have of them when we were thirteen years old.
…that being kind to others makes me feel good.
…that there are many things in this world that I am simply incapable of doing.
…that whether I walk 10,000 steps a day or 10,000 steps a month, eventually I’m going to die, and that’s okay.
…that true friendships require nourishment — more nourishment than I’ve provided for many of my friends.
…that CBD cream makes my knees feel better.
…that when a parent dies, especially the second one, there is a void in life which simply cannot be filled.
…that grandchildren are amazing gifts from God that nourish my soul.
…that time alone at the beach is time well-spent.
…how small the world really is, and how likely it is to meet someone for the first time and realize that you have mutual friends.
…that prayer does not require kneeling, rosary beads, or specific formulas. Rather, prayer can be an ongoing, informal conversation with God throughout each day.
…that it is not only possible, but likely that we will learn something new every day, if we are open to this possibility.
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here to give you an opportunity to consider some of your own responses to the prompt.
