Life seems like a whirlwind most of the time, passing at warp speed, heedless to my cry to slow down. Our trip to Myrtle Beach last week was just such a whirlwind. We made good time on our way down but hit traffic complicated by a minor car accident which, coupled with our choice to go one way rather than another into Myrtle Beach, had us arrive at our friends' house 45 minutes later than planned. After a scrumptious dinner, we headed off to the Gaither concert, which ran for 4 hours, closing at 11 p.m. By the time we got out of there and home and after having dessert - yummy lemon pudding cake with vanilla ice cream - and showered and into bed, it was after 1 a.m. We were up and back at the convention center for the 10 a.m. session, which lasted for 2 hours, so breakfast was rather hurried. After that session, we changed clothes and drove to the pier where John and Donna, our friends, have a large fishing boat moored, and they took us out for a brief ride on the ocean. It was amazing to see John maneuver that 38' boat out of the dock and through the inlet to the open ocean, where he opened up the two 450 hp diesel engines, which he'd just had overhauled. The day couldn't have been more gorgeous! The temperature was up near 70 degrees inland, so a few degrees cooler at the shore, but the sun was shining brilliantly and there was hardly a puff of wind. Our trip was all too brief.
We returned to their house where we had another wonderful meal, and it was off again to the final session of music, which ran from 6 to 10 p.m. Back at the house, we pretty much fell into bed and rose early in order to attend an 8:30 a.m. church service, after which Bob and I headed back to North Carolina. Before coming home, we stopped by and saw Bob's mother and one of his daughters in Raleigh, and it was back to work as usual Monday morning.
Today, Saturday, I cleaned house while Bob pulled the tender plants from outside to inside as we are expecting near freezing temperatures tonight. Then we headed to Raleigh where we took some sodas to Bob's mother, purchased bird seed, and went to my son's house to watch the three little boys so they could go out and eat a peaceful dinner. As soon as they left, little Julian, now 6 months old with 2 new teeth, started crying, and he cried and cried. I took him to the big room over the garage, and Niland, 4 years old, came up a few minutes later and said, "Nana, put him in here and he'll be quiet." "In here" was a swinging cradle that played soft music and had a rotating mobile and lights. Niland found the cord to plug it in and helped me get the cradle going. Immediately Julian stopped crying. I was so thankful to Niland for helping me. However, Julian's crying resumed about 15 minutes later, so Bob tried to comfort him while I grabbed some dinner, and then I took over again. This time Julian fell asleep on my lap. After a few minutes I lifted him into my arms and held him close. His little body kept heaving from his extended crying spell as I held him, tears pooling in the corners of his eyes. His tiny nose was perfect, his eyelashes dark and curled, his face angelic, and his little body so perfect. I started crying as I thanked God for my grandchildren as my heart cried out that I did not want to get old. I want to be a grandparent, but not an old grandparent! Why can't time stop?! Why do I have to get old, wanting to do things that I can no longer do!? Life is moving too quickly! I want it to slow down!
As we were going to my son's house, I realized that their oldest son, Niland, will start kindergarten next fall. It doesn't seem possible. Even as I see my oldest grandson Luke, it doesn't seem possible that he's 5'8" tall and weighs 145 pounds at 13 years of age! He was a baby such a short time ago!
Time is a commodity over which we have no control other than how we spend it. It slips through our fingers; we're powerless to stop it. The phrase, "Stop the world; I want to get off" - came to mind today. That's how I feel sometimes, and it's at those times that the brevity of life grips me like a vise, yet I'm constantly reminded that we are eternal beings and life on this earth is but a vapor, a puff of air. May God help me use my time on this earth wisely.
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