Planting Seeds and Growing Lives

How does your garden grow?  I’m not talking about flowers to admire or home grown vegetables to eat. Instead, I’m thinking about the positive influence senior adults can have on the younger generations. Two examples come to mind. This is the week for Vacation Bible School at our church. The parking lot swarms with parents bringing their children for a jam-packed week of Bible stories, crafts, music, and missions. Charles directs the cars in and out each day to ensure everyone’s safety. Then 160 eager faces approach me at the registration table to wait for a name tag. Monday is nerve wracking as I scramble to find each child’s class assignment. As I observe the children’s activities, I ask myself, “Did I ever have that much energy?”  It makes me grateful for those older caring adults who spent hours planting the seeds of God’s love in my life so many years ago when I attended VBS.

For the past ten years, our aerospace engineering company, Consulting Aviation Services, has offered a mentoring program to high school seniors interested in engineering and aviation. Charles is very eager to pass along his vast knowledge in the field of mathematics and aviation to the next generation.  Numerous students have earned course credit and valuable experience as they worked on projects for our company. All of our interns graduate high school with highest honors and go on to advanced studies in college. Planting seeds in the fertile ground of the next generation reaps a fruitful harvest and makes our lives richer and more rewarding.

Married100 Years (almost)

“How long have you been married?” It’s a question that we’re asked quite often, usually by someone who doesn’t know us and is much younger than we are. In order not to disappoint the questioner who is expecting us to answer 45 or 50 years, Charles usually responds with a twinkle in his eye, “Around 100 years!”  Everyone has a good laugh as we explain, “It’s all in how you add up the numbers.” 

Charles – 44 years to Mary before she died + 16 years to Frieda = 60 years of marriage.

Frieda – 22 years to Talmadge before his death + 16 years to Charles = 38 years of marriage. 

It adds up to 98 with only two more to go before we hit 100.

We celebrate our anniversary this week and feel truly blessed for the sixteen years we’ve spent together. I was in need of a liver transplant when we promised to “love each other in sickness and health.” There were no guarantees for the future even after I received a donor liver. So as June 8 rolls around each year, we are amazed at the grace and goodness of God. A garden stone on our front porch is engraved with a song verse written by John Lennon, “Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be. God bless our love.”

Life's Encore

Encore azaleas are my favorite perennial flowering shrubs.  The warm days of spring call them forth from their winter slumber into a glorious display that lasts for weeks.  As the last days of summer heat wind down and trees turn red, orange, and yellow, the Encores put on another show. "Look at me" they seem to say as other summer flowers are in their last hurrah. Isn't life like that?  We start out in our youth with fresh idealism. The world is our oyster and we are going to make it a better place. Our careers will be rewarding and profitable. We are going to do a better job than our parents in our marriages and raising our children. Time stretches before us in a long unbroken line like a railroad track heading west through the plains.  Then life happens. The reality of unfulfilled dreams, chronic illness, family strife, and broken promises intrudes and we are left wondering what happened.  We struggle to find meaning in life and strength for each day.  Our pain causes us to look for the still small voice of God and we are renewed. Our life experiences teach us and we find we are strong. As we approach the fall of our life, we have a measure of freedom to be the person we always wanted to be.  There seems to be a bit more time to pursue new hobbies and interests.  Others appreciate our wisdom learned in the school of hard knocks. It is our chance to make an encore and bloom one more time..  

Bloom Where You are Planted

Today I jump into the 21^st century - twelve years late. I am starting a blog to chronicle my life as a late bloomer.  I’ve struggled to keep up with the latest computer operating systems and software. I finally gave in to text messaging and using a smart phone so that I can keep up with the grandkids.  My late bloomer, husband, is not intimidated by computer-eaze and has pushed and prodded me to become proficient in the latest gadgets. The blogosphere has called to me for some time since I like to write. Blogging demands discipline, and I need the regimen of regular writing. Blooming late is all about taking risks.  What could be more risky than writing about life and letting the world see your innermost thoughts?  Charles describes himself as a calculated risk taker.  He still works long after the normal retirement age, creating and innovating to improve the safety and efficiency of aircraft.  Sometimes, we ask ourselves are we too late to bloom?  The answer lies in the wise words of the Psalmist: “That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose fruit does not wither; whatever they do prospers.” Psalms 1:3.  As two late bloomers, we hope to inspire you to join us in discovering your passion so that you too can “Bloom where you are planted.” (This quote was first spoken by St. Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, who lived from 1567-1622.)