# Childhood play and growing up... this one sucker-punched me hard



## Aunt Marg (Dec 16, 2020)

I wanted to share this everyone.

My brain works overtime, that's a fact, but not once did the thought of the caption ever cross my mind.

When I read this it took my breath away, and I felt a sadness deep inside like I haven't felt in a long time. I must say that I sat in shock for a moment. It really caught me off guard.

I can't say I remember the last time I went out and played with childhood friends, and of course not once did the thought cross my mind that it would be the last time.

Really makes one think and reflect.


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## Gary O' (Dec 16, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> Really makes one think and reflect.


Being still able to reflect is a very good thing.

By the time we get old enough, we'll have had several _*'last times and not knowing'*_

I s'pose sky diving without a chute might be wunna the few 'last times' we'd be aware of while it's happening

As we age, saying g'bye (say) at an airport, one often wonders if there'll be yet another time to see that friend, or child, or parent

Kids, like in the pic, tend to look forward with the anxious 'what's next' frame of mind
I know I did

Now? I just savor the moment

Even put some words to a pic I took at the cabin;








Thanks for posting this, AM


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Gary O' said:


> Being still able to reflect is a very good thing.
> 
> By the time we get old enough, we'll have had several _*'last times and not knowing'*_
> 
> ...


I love all that you said, Gary.

Your words have helped soothe and numb a little of the hurt.

Reflecting on the many lasts that we unknowingly carry with us, it's a reminder, if not a cruel reminder, as to how quickly life goes by, how quickly we grow, and how short life really is.

The picture you took from your cabin, seeing the sun setting, it sort of reminds me that as long as the sun is still shining, there's living to do and lasts that we will still experience, but most of all, time is still on our side.

Such a befitting picture to add to this thread, Gary. So beautiful, and the best expression I could ever think of. Thank you for it.


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## Lewkat (Dec 17, 2020)

OMG, yes, I can relate to this.  Wow.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Lewkat said:


> OMG, yes, I can relate to this.  Wow.


You know, Lew, life in many ways goes by at warp speed, one minute we're kids, the next we're out of our childhood homes embarking upon our own paths and journeys, and before you know it, 50, 60, 70 (plus) years have passed, prompting one to ask themselves, _where did all the years go._

I can't help but think of Gary's, words. So many _lasts_ that we have experienced and lived through, with more to come.


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## Lewkat (Dec 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> You know, Lew, life in many ways goes by at warp speed, one minute we're kids, the next we're out of our childhood homes embarking upon our own paths and journeys, and before you know it, 50, 60, 70 (plus) years have passed, prompting one to ask themselves, _where did all the years go._


This is so true Marg.  Now my son is feeling it more and more as some of his friends have passed away in the last few years.  I had such a great bunch of friends as a child.  Maybe one or two of us left.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Lewkat said:


> This is so true Marg.  Now my son is feeling it more and more as some of his friends have passed away in the last few years.  I had such a great bunch of friends as a child.  Maybe one or two of us left.


It's haunting for sure.

I can't tell you how often I count my blessings for having been able to enjoy the amount of time that I have already, knowing so many others weren't given any time at all, or so much less.

I never gave much though about death in my young and growing years, that is until I lost a lifelong childhood friend my grad year, and that was the turning-point for me.

Still, it wasn't until I got to be in my 40's, where I truly started thinking about my own mortality.


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## Lewkat (Dec 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> It's haunting for sure.
> 
> I can't tell you how often I count my blessings for having been able to enjoy the amount of time that I have already, knowing so many others weren't given any time at all, or so much less.
> 
> ...


A few friends died while we were still in grade school and when I got to nursing school at the tender age of 17, I became very aware of my mortality.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Lewkat said:


> A few friends died while we were still in grade school and when I got to nursing school at the tender age of 17, I became very aware of my mortality.


I often wonder, Lew, if my ability to look past or not think about my own mortality was the result of life coming at me at hyper-speed for the first 30 years of my life.

It truly was a whirlwind of change, growing, and blossoming, then life slowed down somewhat, enough where I could catch my breath and reflect.


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## Lewkat (Dec 17, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> I often wonder, Lew, if my ability to look past or not think about my own mortality was the result of life coming at me at hyper-speed for the first 30 years of my life.
> 
> It truly was a whirlwind of change, growing, and blossoming, then life slowed down somewhat, enough where I could catch my breath and reflect.


That's possible, Marg.  Often, when  a person is forced to grow up quickly, one hasn't the time nor inclination to stop and think about life at all.  When our kids start growing up faster than we'd like, we look in the mirror and ask ourselves, where did time go and how much longer do I have on this planet?  It can be quite startling and a real eye opener.


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## Lee (Dec 17, 2020)

The picture kind of makes me want to go on Facebook and see how many are still around. But I don't do Facebook/

Then again I live for the future, what is past is past for me, maybe not a good thing.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Lewkat said:


> That's possible, Marg.  *Often, when  a person is forced to grow up quickly, one hasn't the time nor inclination to stop and think about life at all.*  When our kids start growing up faster than we'd like, we look in the mirror and ask ourselves, where did time go and how much longer do I have on this planet?  It can be quite startling and a real eye opener.


That was me, Lew.

Being big sister to baby siblings thrust me into a role of what felt like early motherhood, and combined with genetics, I matured way too fast.

I love your words... "_a real eye-opener_", it's so true.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Lee said:


> The picture kind of makes me want to go on Facebook and see how many are still around. But I don't do Facebook/
> 
> Then again I live for the future, what is past is past for me, maybe not a good thing.


Ironically enough, Lee, I'm not on Facebook either, but that's where the image came from.

I have a friend that has always lived by your adage, and in many ways I sort of see it as a plus.

Me on the other-hand, I've always had an uncanny memory for my past, as well as all things in the past, and so I just can't shake thoughts and visions that visit me from my early beginnings, probably why things like this affect me so acutely.


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## Pappy (Dec 17, 2020)

It seems like that one day we are kids and playing all types of games, and then boom, there’s a wall there and we are going into service, getting married and working to support a family. Happens so fast...


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Pappy said:


> It seems like that one day we are kids and playing all types of games, and then boom, there’s a wall there and we are going into service, getting married and working to support a family. Happens so fast...


I agree, Paps. Life truly does go by all too fast.


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## Kathleen’s Place (Dec 17, 2020)

It is a good reminder to live each day, each hour, as if it were our last...because it very well could be.

i think I’ve learned to live by this code because of all of the moves we made. Saying goodbye to so many people who have crossed my life path, and saying goodbye to my husband, who traveled 5 days a week.  We’ve always tried to say goodbye, not casually, but as if it were our last. We did that, always, when we were younger, but with more intensity now because at our ages...every new day really IS a gift!

I had a good friend, a couple of years ago, that I would meet for coffee two or three days a week. One morning we had coffee, did our usual laughing and talking, and as we parted for the morning, said our usual goodbyes, gave each other a hug and went about our day. Three days later I was reading the paper, glanced at the obituaries and saw a picture of a lady and thought “Gee, she looks alike like Rosealie.” Looked at the name...and it WAS my Rosealie! She had died the very day we had coffee and I didn’t knowI’m so glad we had that morning together, that we laughed, and hugged each other goodbye.

Carpe Diem, Aunt Marge


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Kathleen’s Place said:


> It is a good reminder to live each day, each hour, as if it were our last...because it very well could be.
> 
> i think I’ve learned to live by this code because of all of the moves we made. Saying goodbye to so many people who have crossed my life path, and saying goodbye to my husband, who traveled 5 days a week.  We’ve always tried to say goodbye, not casually, but as if it were our last. We did that, always, when we were younger, but with more intensity now because at our ages...every new day really IS a gift!
> 
> ...


Your story about your friend, Rosealie, reminds me so much of my lifelong childhood friend that I lost my grad year. 

We graded together, then she moved away (a heartbreak for me)... how I missed her, then she came back in the early fall to visit, and we spent an entire week together... meeting up for coffee, going out for lunch and shopping. When it was time for her to leave, we hugged, we cried, and we said our goodbye's, and not two months later she was gone.

Carpe Diem is right, Kathleen.


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## asp3 (Dec 17, 2020)

I don't want to detract from the current line of conversation that's going on, but the picture isn't resonating with me the same way it is for others.  My reaction is that my life has been filled with a lot of last times for all sorts of things some known and some unknown and not even recognized.  I thought that what happened with me is my play evolved into different areas such as playing board games, making home movies or doing photography, developing the film and printing it together.  As we grew up our "play" changed.

It might also be because I didn't have a core group of childhood friends.  I just did the math and we moved at least 7 times between the time I was born and the time I was 15.  Two of the last three moves took me to the same area in different houses but there was a third move to another area for six months.

So I think my life has had lots of lasts that I had to move past because that's just what was happening in my life.  Also I have always been one of the shy kids so I wasn't quick to get a lot of new friends, but found a few that I spent time with.  Some were very good and over the last week I've had the opportunity to "see" two of the ones from my teenage years and beyond on a Zoom meeting in celebration of my mom.

There are things that I thought I would never stop doing or never stop enjoying in my teens and 20's that I no longer do or no longer interest me.  I don't think I'm one who holds a nostalgic grip on my past and the people, events and things that were part of it.  I look back on them fondly but generally don't feel a sense of loss or longing for them.  They are part of what's brought me to this point in my life that I'm enjoying very much because of them but without them.


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## Gary O' (Dec 17, 2020)

Pappy said:


> It seems like that one day we are kids and playing all types of games, and then boom, there’s a wall there and we are going into service, getting married and working to support a family. Happens so fast...


Heh, a couple decades ago, I took a few moments to put together a little thing, my synopsis of life...sorta

Of course I'm driven by any thoughts tainted with funny.....


Seems life is divided up into indistinct sections of which we ease in to and out of,​like a balloon coaxed thru a small opening, morphing sometimes without notice:​
Eating/pooping (part 1, discovering texture)​​Preschool (intro to social, sharing)​
School (the teacher is God)​
Teenage (high school hell, for teen and parent,​hormones are an entity requiring exorcism, the teacher is Satan)​
College/military (fun, fun, fun; learn, drink, fornicate, kill)​
Pre-parental Early adult (more fun, but serious, sipping not chugging,​serious pursuits, mating, career)​
Parental (joy)​
Parental hell (see teenage)​
Midlife (see early adult, attempts at hindsight adjustments)​
Grandparent (brief joy)​
Grandparental hell (hiding, see teenage)​
Musing Youngish Geezer (lazy boy-crossword-Jeopardy sessions, looking upon mate with renewed ardor, reflecting, attempting things you did with ease years ago)​
Geezer (whazzat? Whoozzair?)​
Eating/pooping (part 2)...Nurse!? I did it again (toothless smile)​
Dirt nap​


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## Kathleen’s Place (Dec 17, 2020)

Gary O' said:


> Heh, a couple decades ago, I took a few moments to put together a little thing, my synopsis of life...sorta
> 
> Of course I'm driven by any thoughts tainted with funny.....
> 
> ...


Cute!  And I’m happy to say I’ve made it 97% down the list,,,but I’m not looking forward to the next 3%.  Would be much happier to totally skip over 2 of them and go directly to the last one


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## Gary O' (Dec 17, 2020)

Kathleen’s Place said:


> I’m happy to say I’ve made it 97% down the list


Yeah, I too am approaching geezerhood, and at a rather rapid pace


Just thankful I can talk about it, and make some sorta sense


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## Gaer (Dec 17, 2020)

Marg, Love you like a sister but you and I DO HAVE completely different outlooks on what happens after death.  
In my truths, LIFE GOES ON THROUGH ETERNITY.  In yours, blackness after death.
There is no way I can convince you of eternal life, all possibilities, expanding consciousness, more and more beginnings,
It would be futile for me to try. 
"One convinced against his will,
is of the same opinion still." 
I'm saying this to ease your anguish, not to argue philosophy;  This is why we must appreciate every moment!  It's gone now.
I have to say, your lament brings an ACUTENESS to REALLY CONNECTING, REALLY ENGAGING IN THE MOMENT! Cherish the good times and appreciate the bad times, for lessons are learned.
Don't be sad, my friend.  I promise you will have all these moments again!  Wonders upon wonders are ahead for you!


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 17, 2020)

Gaer said:


> Marg, Love you like a sister but you and I DO HAVE completely different outlooks on what happens after death.
> In my truths, LIFE GOES ON THROUGH ETERNITY.  In yours, blackness after death.
> There is no way I can convince you of eternal life, all possibilities, expanding consciousness, more and more beginnings,
> It would be futile for me to try.
> ...


Thank you so kindly for your precious words, Gaer.


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## Damaged Goods (Dec 18, 2020)

Gary O' said:


> Teenage (high school hell, for teen and parent,​College/military (fun, fun, fun; learn, drink, fornicate, kill)​​


So many rate college as the happiest of their young lives while high school was angst-ridden.

For me, high school rocked while college was pure business because the school's located in the same city where I lived with parents and brother.  No dorm, no pep rallies, no social life there.  They didn't even have a football team, just hoops and baseball.

Went like this:  classes in the morning then rush down to the grocery store where I worked in the meat dept. until 9pm. Mon-Fri.


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## Tish (Dec 18, 2020)

Yes, I can relate, it makes you want to treasure every moment of life.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 18, 2020)

Damaged Goods said:


> So many rate college as the happiest of their young lives while high school was angst-ridden.
> 
> For me, high school rocked while college was pure business because the school's located in the same city where I lived with parents and brother.  No dorm, no pep rallies, no social life there.  They didn't even have a football team, just hoops and baseball.
> 
> Went like this:  classes in the morning then rush down to the grocery store where I worked in the meat dept. until 9pm. Mon-Fri.


A smidgeon of angst visited me upon entering junior-high, but it didn't last long, a few weeks maybe, and from that point on I was good to go.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 18, 2020)

asp3 said:


> I don't want to detract from the current line of conversation that's going on, but the picture isn't resonating with me the same way it is for others.  My reaction is that my life has been filled with a lot of last times for all sorts of things some known and some unknown and not even recognized.  I thought that what happened with me is my play evolved into different areas such as playing board games, making home movies or doing photography, developing the film and printing it together.  As we grew up our "play" changed.
> 
> It might also be because I didn't have a core group of childhood friends.  I just did the math and we moved at least 7 times between the time I was born and the time I was 15.  Two of the last three moves took me to the same area in different houses but there was a third move to another area for six months.
> 
> ...


I always welcome any/all perspectives when I post a thread.

I appreciate hearing from on this, Asp.


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## Lewkat (Dec 18, 2020)

asp3 said:


> I don't want to detract from the current line of conversation that's going on, but the picture isn't resonating with me the same way it is for others.  My reaction is that my life has been filled with a lot of last times for all sorts of things some known and some unknown and not even recognized.  I thought that what happened with me is my play evolved into different areas such as playing board games, making home movies or doing photography, developing the film and printing it together.  As we grew up our "play" changed.
> 
> It might also be because I didn't have a core group of childhood friends.  I just did the math and we moved at least 7 times between the time I was born and the time I was 15.  Two of the last three moves took me to the same area in different houses but there was a third move to another area for six months.
> 
> ...


Gee, Asp, I just read a brief article about Ronald Regean's mom and they too moved several times, and at least 3 of those moves took them to the same area in different houses.  You have fine company here.


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## Lewkat (Dec 18, 2020)

I was full of angst all through high school and bucked authority wherever and whenever I possibly could.  Six months into nursing school and my parents couldn't believe I was the same person.  What a humbling experience that was and made me into the nurse I became.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 18, 2020)

Lewkat said:


> I was full of angst all through high school and bucked authority wherever and whenever I possibly could.  Six months into nursing school and my parents couldn't believe I was the same person.  What a humbling experience that was and made me into the nurse I became.


Lew, your post reminded me of my own nature to buck authority in school. 

If I were to strain, and I do mean strain, I may be able to come up with a handful of teachers I respected and liked, as for the rest, the old saying... "if you've got nothing good to say, don't say anything at all", applies to me.


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## fmdog44 (Dec 19, 2020)

The word "bittersweet" best describes the years for life.


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## HoneyNut (Dec 19, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> When I read this it took my breath away, and I felt a sadness deep inside like I haven't felt in a long time. I must say that I sat in shock for a moment. It really caught me off guard.


I had an experience like that too, several years ago I discovered the facebook page for the horse stable that I'd ridden at for many years when I was younger and had so many wonderful memories, and then reading facebook I came to realize ALL of the horses of my generation had passed away.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

HoneyNut said:


> I had an experience like that too, several years ago I discovered the facebook page for the horse stable that I'd ridden at for many years when I was younger and had so many wonderful memories, and then reading facebook I came to realize ALL of the horses of my generation had passed away.


Awww...

Makes me wonder if we as humans aren't genetically programmed to afford us somewhat of a buffer to allow ourselves to progress through life... through the ages, to be less cognizant of all things and every detail related to.

They missed me on the assembly-line though if such is the case.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Dec 19, 2020)

I remember like it was yesterday calling my girlfriends to see if they wanted to play. We had a party line and my mom warned me not to stay on the line to long. Generally all it amounted to was, "can you play?" which was answered with, a no or a yes. If the answer was no it was followed by the reason. I have to help my mom, or I have to go uptown shopping with my mom. When they did say yes the time was given and how long they could play. 
I would walk down our dirt road to meet them. We jammed as much fun as we could into those play hours.
In a blink of an eye those times were gone and some of them as well.
These holidays I sit at our dining room table with just the remainder of my family thinking back to the days when my dad made blocks of wood to put under the kitchen table because we would bring it into the dining room for more space and with the blocks it made the table the same height as the dining room table.
Every Christmas when I put the decorations away I wonder who will not be seeing them next year. Maybe me. Who knows. 
So until then I will enjoy what's left of my family and the new little members who make any day special.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

Ruth n Jersey said:


> I remember like it was yesterday calling my girlfriends to see if they wanted to play. We had a party line and my mom warned me not to stay on the line to long. Generally all it amounted to was, "can you play?" which was answered with, a no or a yes. If the answer was no it was followed by the reason. I have to help my mom, or I have to go uptown shopping with my mom. When they did say yes the time was given and how long they could play.
> I would walk down our dirt road to meet them. We jammed as much fun as we could into those play hours.
> In a blink of an eye those times were gone and some of them as well.
> These holidays I sit at our dining room table with just the remainder of my family thinking back to the days when my dad made blocks of wood to put under the kitchen table because we would bring it into the dining room for more space and with the blocks it made the table the same height as the dining room table.
> ...


You took a page straight out of my book, Ruth! 

A lovely read.

Reflecting on my own childhood, I remember when my baby siblings were babies and little, friends and family of my parents would come to our house for a visit with their children who were also babies and little.

The years passed by, and slowly everyone go older, moved onto other things in life, and like a rubber-band being stretched to it's end, the rubber-band eventually gave way and snapped, and I remember visits became less frequent, family gatherings became smaller, and by the time I had reached my teen years, it was a rarity when my family got together with other family.

Then came graduation, find a job, then I got married, and then babies followed. Those years were so busy and full, I never gave any thought as to the whole "one day" thing. One day the kids will be gone, one day I'll be old, one day, one day.

Here I am now fast approaching 60, and as much as I try and not allow the past to haunt me, it still does.

I, too, try and live for each day, and I think I do well in that regard, but my overactive mind reminds me regularly of how it was back in the day, and all sorts of other little things. So hard to let some stuff go. So hard to not think about it.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Dec 19, 2020)

@Aunt Marg I'm 75 and it doesn't get any easier. 
A friend of mine was going to visit my daughter at Christmas. I was really happy about that because I figured I'd bring her gift to my daughters home and that would be that.
My friend called me and said she wasn't going because of the virus. I totally understood but then she asked if it was alright to come to our house at some point which is much closer so we can exchange gifts.  I understood that also, my hubby and I rarely go out which would be less of a threat.
I immediately thought, now I have to make dinner, clean the house and keep the Christmas decorations up. 
Then I realized how lucky I am to still have her as my friend and that making dinner and doing a little bit extra should be a pleasure rather than an annoyance.
Now I'm looking forward to her visit and an enjoyable evening after the new year. Maybe next year we won't be together.


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## SeaBreeze (Dec 19, 2020)

Aunt Marg said:


> You know, Lew, life in many ways goes by at warp speed, one minute we're kids, the next we're out of our childhood homes embarking upon our own paths and journeys, and before you know it, 50, 60, 70 (plus) years have passed, prompting one to ask themselves, _where did all the years go._
> 
> I can't help but think of Gary's, words. So many _lasts_ that we have experienced and lived through, with more to come.


I agree Aunt Marge, and I loved Gary's photo and saying.  Time does fly, and I like to try and follow this advice.  'Cherish the moment, it will soon be gone', 'Don't waste precious time regreting or feeling guilty about the past, it's gone and that just takes away from your appreciation of the present', Don't worry too much about tomorrow, you lose your memories of today, and many times worry was for nothing'.


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## Aunt Marg (Dec 19, 2020)

SeaBreeze said:


> I agree Aunt Marge, and I loved Gary's photo and saying.  Time does fly, and I like to try and follow this advice.  'Cherish the moment, it will soon be gone', 'Don't waste precious time regreting or feeling guilty about the past, it's gone and that just takes away from your appreciation of the present', Don't worry too much about tomorrow, you lose your memories of today, and many times worry was for nothing'.


Always helps talking with others about things like this.

Thanks for your words, SeaBreeze.

Love your post.


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## Ruby Rose (Jan 7, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> You know, Lew, life in many ways goes by at warp speed, one minute we're kids, the next we're out of our childhood homes embarking upon our own paths and journeys, and before you know it, 50, 60, 70 (plus) years have passed, prompting one to ask themselves, _where did all the years go._
> 
> I can't help but think of Gary's, words. So many _lasts_ that we have experienced and lived through, with more to come.


I sadly think of how many family get-togethers I have missed because of all our moves across the Country and abroad...my fault entirely as I made the decision to move on in 1962 and landed in Germany for three years. I think of my first born daughter often who died while we lived in Germany leaving only my husband and I to mourn.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 7, 2021)

Ruby Rose said:


> I sadly think of how many family get-togethers I have missed because of all our moves across the Country and abroad...my fault entirely as I made the decision to move on in 1962 and landed in Germany for three years. I think of my first born daughter often who died while we lived in Germany leaving only my husband and I to mourn.


I am so very sorry to hear of the loss of your daughter, Ruby.

Moving around has been, and never would have been something I would have considered, not even a little.

I'm of the type that needs my roots set.


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## Sassycakes (Jan 7, 2021)

*This thread took me back to 4th grade and a girl I was very friendly with from when I was 4yrs old. Her name was Joanne and she died suddenly from Cancer. I remember the Nun telling us in class the day she passed away. Of course, I started crying and I was afraid the Nun would holler at me, but then I looked at the girl sitting next to me and she was also crying. So I thought to myself if Mary is crying then I guess it was ok for me to cry also because Mary was the Nun's favorite girl in my classroom. I still think of Joanne after all these years.*


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 7, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> *This thread took me back to 4th grade and a girl I was very friendly with from when I was 4yrs old. Her name was Joanne and she died suddenly from Cancer. I remember the Nun telling us in class the day she passed away. Of course, I started crying and I was afraid the Nun would holler at me, but then I looked at the girl sitting next to me and she was also crying. So I thought to myself if Mary is crying then I guess it was ok for me to cry also because Mary was the Nun's favorite girl in my classroom. I still think of Joanne after all these years.*


I find now that I'm older, so much of life's past, haunts me. I find myself thinking about my past lived days more and more all the time.

I never bought into the old saying, "_life is short_", when I was younger, but I sure buy into it now.

So many people who were are a big part of my life when I was young and growing are gone now, and it's a reminder for us to live each day as though it is our last.


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## debodun (Jan 7, 2021)

My mom took this photo of the neighborhood kids waiting for the school bus one morning. Don't know what happened to most of them or even remember who some of them were (I'm on the far right). From the look of things I'd say around 1962 or 63.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 7, 2021)

debodun said:


> My mom took this photo of the neighborhood kids waiting for the school bus one morning. Don't know what happened to most of them or even remember who some of them were (I'm on the far right). From the look of things I'd say around 1962 or 63.
> 
> View attachment 143635


Boy, just knowing the date of this photo, reality tells me one or two (possibly more) in the picture are no longer around.

Thanks for posting, Deb.


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## Jeni (Jan 7, 2021)

I can totally relate sometimes when i look back i have to think about it before remembering a last name etc.
I  at one time plugged various names into Facebook on a chance i could see where some maybe.  

I got in touch with a BF from high school and asked if she wanted to do lunch ( pre- pandemic) and she responded "NO , I think we are too different  based on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"    her looking over  friends I had on Facebook guess they were not her cup of tea but really made me sad she was like that....... Makes me sad that you really can't go back.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 7, 2021)

Jeni said:


> I can totally relate sometimes when i look back i have to think about it before remembering a last name etc.
> I  at one time plugged various names into Facebook on a chance i could see where some maybe.
> 
> I got in touch with a BF from high school and asked if she wanted to do lunch ( pre- pandemic) and she responded "NO , I think we are too different  based on,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,"    her looking over  friends I had on Facebook guess they were not her cup of tea but really made me sad she was like that....... Makes me sad that you really can't go back.


You are so right, Jeni, it never really is the same. 

One thing I will say and I'm hoping it helps pick your spirits up, you are, and were more of a person that your BF will ever be, in that you reached out and graciously looked to meet with her, and in her shutting you down so absolute and matter-a-fact like, just goes to show what little class she has.

Look yourself in the mirror and be proud of who and what you are.


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## Ruby Rose (Jan 7, 2021)

Aunt Marg said:


> I am so very sorry to hear of the loss of your daughter, Ruby.
> 
> Moving around has been, and never would have been something I would have considered, not even a little.
> 
> I'm of the type that needs my roots set.


Thank you for your kind words. What happened was that I was engaged to a military guy and the Army posted him to Germany. So we decided to get married in Germany....and the rest is history. If I had my druthers, I would not have moved so many times as I truly missed my big boisterous family...always.


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## fuzzybuddy (Jan 9, 2021)

We aren't five years old forever. We are born to an ever changing life. The dear friends we had  yesterday, shall make way for the dear friends will make tomorrow. We have to cherish them all, now.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 9, 2021)

fuzzybuddy said:


> We aren't five years old forever. We are born to an ever changing life. The dear friends we had  yesterday, shall make way for the dear friends will make tomorrow. We have to cherish them all, now.


So eloquently put, Fuzzy.


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## Sassycakes (Jan 9, 2021)

Reading this again brought back another sad memory from my past. When I was 15yrs old I became friends with a girl in my class. She invited me to spend Sunday with her and her friends. There were seven of us there that day. One was a boy that is my husband. All of the other 5 have passed away.4 of them were even in my wedding party. None of them even made it to their 40's.


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## Aunt Marg (Jan 9, 2021)

Sassycakes said:


> Reading this again brought back another sad memory from my past. When I was 15yrs old I became friends with a girl in my class. She invited me to spend Sunday with her and her friends. There were seven of us there that day. One was a boy that is my husband. All of the other 5 have passed away.4 of them were even in my wedding party. None of them even made it to their 40's.


That is so heartbreaking.


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## Keesha (Jan 9, 2021)

Gaer said:


> Marg, Love you like a sister but you and I DO HAVE completely different outlooks on what happens after death.
> In my truths, LIFE GOES ON THROUGH ETERNITY.  In yours, blackness after death.
> There is no way I can convince you of eternal life, all possibilities, expanding consciousness, more and more beginnings,
> It would be futile for me to try.
> ...


My beliefs also.


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