Thank God I'm not dead yet!

As the month of my birth continues it’s steady unstoppable approach I’m reminded that although I feel very very old sometimes, I’m really still young in the grand plan of my life should I live to see my great grandchildren.

I recently read an article written by a man many years my senior. In it he recalled events from his long exciting past, as well as all the things he still plans to do should the Lord allow him the opportunity. So, what better time than the approach of my 33rd birthday to write my own “Thank God I’m not dead yet” pros. I hope many years from now I will be able read this and chuckle at my own ignorance. Here goes…

I know that I’m still alive because my body aches too much to be dead. I still get excited over a fresh coat of paint, new episodes of Survivor, and the opportunity to make a great batch of bread for my family. I still enjoy light rain showers, and heavy ones, cold weather, hot bread, hard rock, soft beds, long baths, short drives, the first leaves of fall, and almost more than anything…the last piece of cake.

I can still remember most important dates, the password for my debit card, when gas was just a dollar, and my favorite recipes from memory. And although I’ve been on this earth a good 30 years now I’m still not old enough to understand politics, how to figure tax, the need for rap music or why Poweraid is better than water for hydration.

Someday when I’m older, I hope to be able to travel the world, have granddaughters, make a perfect cheesecake and be as much of a blessing to my children and their families as my in-laws have been to me. I am still looking forward to the future. That’s when I’ll finally learn to bake bread without a recipe, remember to pay bills on time, and plant my first garden. In the years to come, I also want to read through the Bible again, bake the perfect coconut cream pie, take my boys to Disney World and travel to every state in the US.

I know I’m still young because I love my music loud, enjoy trying exotic foods and have yet to appreciate the health benefits of a good bowel movement. I believe I still have time to loose 20 pounds, save for retirement, and do that “deep” cleaning I’m always planning.

I know I’m not old yet because I’m nothing like the “old” people I know. I don’t dwell on my aliments, I like to eat dinner really late, and I can wait almost all day to go to the bathroom. As further proof of my youth, I still love a good horror movie, I get butterflies when my honey returns from a long trip, and I would set through a torrential downpour with no umbrella just to see one of my sons make a play.

I’m just old enough, however, to know that my precious husband is a gift from God. I have a firm grip on the realities of my body shape; I can accept that at least one of my boys will break my heart, and that I will never be “cool” again. And if my life ends tomorrow, I have complete faith in my final destination, and that I have, up to this point, lived a full and happy life. Can I really ask for anything else?