Life

We hosted a great group of kids tonight, as Cara had some good friends over to celebrate her birthday.  I was in and out but as I listened to the chatter and laughter and stories, I thought about what an uncertain time it is in their life...definitely the best of times and the worst of times.  They are young with so much of life....so much promise before them....and yet also so much confusion about which path to head down to begin their life. Some of their friends are getting married...and that seems so unreal....and not even a possibility for them yet.

If I had any advice to give it would be this....life is short and there is plenty of time for settling down...now is the time to enjoy yourself, to explore the world, to realize before it's too late that the real joy is in time spent with family and friends such as these.  I want to tell them not to worry about what others their age are doing...not to feel pressured by the decisions that their peers are making.  There is all the time in the world to settle down and spend the rest of your life with someone.  Now is the time to enjoy life and enjoy being young.  I want to tell them not to do anything because they feel they need to keep up with the rest of the world.  I want to tell them to follow their heart.  I want to tell them to be true to themselves and not change themselves for anyone else...and whatever they do...don't settle on what doesn't seem quite right for you.

But many young people don't really listen to the advice of us old folks anyway.....so I just listened...and I will keep them all in my heart and pray that they wind up where they are supposed to be, and with who...and that they are happy and blessed.

“I won't tell you that the world matters nothing, or the world's voice, or the voice of society. They matter a good deal. They matter far too much. But there are moments when one has to choose between living one's own life, fully, entirely, completely—or dragging out some false, shallow, degrading existence that the world in its hypocrisy demands. You have that moment now. Choose!” 

~ Oscar Wilde