Life is all about loving and being loved

I received a notice about an upcoming class reunion the other day. I have never been back to my old high school since I graduated. I was considering whether or not to attend when I received an email today. It had a link to a directory of biographies of past classmates.

Like a fool, I checked it out. There were only a handful of entries. Every one of them made me feel inferior. There were listings of awards, honors and other accolades. People were either retired or in the process of retiring. Wait a minute - I'm not old enough to retire! Are you sure these are the same people who graduated from high school the same year I did? I don't remember my classmates being that driven to succeed or being so much older than I.

After I closed out the Web site, I started thinking. What have I done with my life? What honors have I received? Has my time on the planet been used to the advantage of humanity?

Further thought made me wonder why it is that everybody is expected to be superior. I'm perfectly content to come in second in the Commercial Review's annual fiction writing contest. True, first would be better, but second is good enough. I guess that means I won't be able to list "nationally acclaimed author" as one of my accomplishments.

When I was little one of the things I wanted to be when I grew up was to be normal. I may not have achieved true normalcy but I am ordinary.

I grew up, got married, had a child, got divorced and got married again. I have had a series of jobs, all satisfying in their own ways. Some jobs have been good for the planet but most have been neutral.

Like I said, I have led an ordinary life.

The things that count in this world don't come with ribbons or trophies. There are no awards for the nights spent watching a sick child breathe. There are no awards for buying every remedy available for a husband with a bad cold. There are no honors for cutting Mom's toenails or cleaning her house. There are no accolades for planting pretty flowers wherever I have lived.

And there shouldn't be. These are things that come with being a good person. In spite of all my flaws, and there are many of them, I am a good person. Sometimes I make you think when you read my words. Sometimes I make you laugh. Sometimes I make you say, "I can write better than that!" but you never try.

I do.

In my biography I could write that I am a lover of words. I am a lover of plants. I am a lover of children. I have a husband who makes me laugh. I have a child who still calls for advice so I must have done something right. I have grandchildren who refer to me as far, far away Grandma and who treasure the books and trinkets I send to them. I have a granddaughter who tells me knock-knock jokes and forgets the punchline but we laugh anyway.

I will never be the head of a multi-million dollar corporation. I will never save a life. I will never devote my life to helping those less fortunate. I will never have a shelf full of trophies and awards.

I will offer flowers or a hug if you seem to need it. I will bite my tongue and not be impatient if you are slow. I will listen to your stories even though I have heard them many times before. these things matter more than accolades.

What have I done with my life since high school? I have lived, loved and laughed. I have people who love me and that is the most important thing of all. Who needs awards? Not me.[[In-content Ad]]