THE STATION

We work hard and think much about arriving at "THE STATION" and being welcomed in. As I look forward to another birthday in a month and they keep getting closer to the days I have left on earth ending, I can't help but think about the end. I love Robert J. Hastings story:

"Tucked away in our subconscious is an idyllic vision. We see ourselves on a long trip that spans the continent. We are traveling by train. Out the windows we drink in the passing scene of cars on nearby highways, of children waving at a crossing, of cattle grazing on a distant hillsides, of city skylines and village halls.

But uppermost in our mind is, the finally destination. On a certain day at a certain hour we will pull into the station. Bands will be playing and flags waving. Once we get there so many wonderful dreams will come true and the pieces of our lives will fit together like a completed jigsaw puzzle. How restlessly we pace the aisles, damning the minutes for loitering -- waiting--waiting--waiting for the station.

When we reach the station, that will be it! we cry. "When I'm 18." "When I put the last kid through college." "When I have paid off the mortgage!" "When I get a promotion." "When I reach the age of retirement, I shall live happily ever after!"

Sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no place to arrive at once and for all. The true joy of life is the trip. The station is only a dream. It constantly outdistances us. "Relish the moment" is a good motto especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the Lord hath made: we will rejoice and be glad in it." What drives us mad? It is the regrets over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who rob us of today.

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, climb more mountains, eat more ice cream, go barefoot more often, swim more rives, watch more sunsets, laugh more, cry less. Life must be lived as we go along. The STATION will come soon enough! Soooooo tonight I am going out to dinner with the sweet Panniers and I am going live, laugh and eat gobs of spaghetti and hot bread at the Spaghetti Factory, (my favorite.) Sherrie stayed all night last night which is always a favorite thing..........