Adding And Subtracting

Spring. A new beginning. New love. For me, it was a time of busy planning. My birthday is in April. Next came my brother’s. Two weeks later. Ten days after that, my mother’s. Two days later, my daughter’s. 14 days later, my son’s. A week and a half later, my husband’s. Finally, July 4th, my last child. Lots of birthday gifts to buy and cakes to bake. Parties to plan. People to invite. Our lives are sometimes in a whirl wind. Days turn into months, and before we realize it, another birthday has come upon us. Divorce was an unexpected event, which took away one birthday celebration. Kids grow up, marry, have children of their own, adding more birthdays to the calendar. Mom passed away, taking away one birthday, a few years later dad left me also, another birthday gone. So many special days in between these birthdays, made each year fly by so quickly. Now I sit here and I look back at my life, and thank God for all the wonderful memories. Videos run through my mind of my children blowing out their candles, laughing as they tear open their gifts. I switch channels to my parents and grandparents, and can see them in my mind as they carefully unwrap their gifts, trying not to tear the paper or the bow. The smiles on their faces, as they hold each gift up for all to see. I have now built a thick book titled Memories in my mind, and I will treasure it always. Sometimes now, as I sit in my rocker, I rest my head back, close my eyes, and open up memories