What will you miss?

Just a few things I will miss

 

“Every man dies. Not every man really lives.”  William Wallace 

Nearly a month ago, on New Year’s Day, my aunt passed away. Auntie was a beautiful woman who was forever smiling, and her laugh was so loud and genuine you could hear it a mile away, and it always made me smile. The last couple of years of Auntie’s life was not easy – she had several health problems that made it difficult for her to get along, even to breathe. But not once during that time did I hear her complain; she simply wasn’t that kind of person. Instead, she talked about the times in her life that made her happy, and that in itself seemed to ease her pain.

Thanks to Auntie’s zest for life, I’ve been thinking of those times in my own life that have made me laugh, made me smile, those times that maybe I didn’t appreciate so much at the time, but that I do now. And I can’t help but wonder: what will I miss when I’m no longer on this earth? Some people make a bucket list, but I feel it’s more important, (if we’re going to make a list), to remind ourselves of the good times we’ve had, of the lessons we’ve learned, of the overwhelming joys we’ve felt when there’s seemingly nothing happening to cause that joy, (but there is).

Here’s what I’m glad I’ve had, and what I’ll miss when I’m…gone.

• Holding and staring at my babies’ little bitty feet (they’re 12 and 14 now so I miss that already).
• Watching my oldest perform his karate moves and my youngest sack the quarterback.
• Riding through the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall, admiring the brilliant portrait full of golden color that God gave us to enjoy, the hubby driving, the kids giggling in the back seat, and a sketchpad on my lap, colored pencils in my hand.
• Listening to my mom and dad tell stories of when they were growing up, especially the ones that make them grin, lighting up the room.
• Scrapbooking/laughing with my sisters until we’re all about to pee our britches and tears are bursting from our eyes.
• Driving down the gorgeous east coast with no more than an overnight bag and pen and paper, and no reason to be anywhere anytime soon.
• Relaxing with my best friend Linda as we wax philosophical.
• Feeling the excitement in my dog’s voice when he talks to me at the end of the day. And even the pitiful sounds of my cat as he purrs against my legs begging for a treat.
• Dipping my toes in the icy waters of Gentry Creek as my sons roam around me looking for gemstones.
• The content joy of flipping the pages of a heavy book.
• Designing the layout of every room of my house and then slapping paint on the walls.
• Being lost somewhere – anywhere – while on vacation as the hubby drives. After all, this means we discover places we otherwise would’ve never known existed.

So much more! I really feel I could go on and on, but I don’t want you to wonder if this will ever end. Instead, I’d like to hear from you – what will you miss when you’re no longer here?

*****

Click here to read this week’s Friday Flash, Over and Over – an actual romance! (I don’t write romance very often) – on my fiction site, The Other Side of Deanna. Click here to visit the wonderful Friday Flash community, where you can read more great flash fiction by outstanding authors!

Click here to read reviews of books I’ve read recently, (and I’ve been lucky so far this year in choosing great stories).

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