I have often wished for 2 more hours in a day and 1 more day in a week to simply catch up on all the things I want/hope to accomplish.
My father passed away at the age of 60. He did not take very good care of himself, so the heart attack was simply a matter of when, not if. He smoked for a large part of his life and often could be found with a beer in his hand upon returning home from work each day. ( I do neither ) Though I take much better care of myself; I try to exercise, watch what I eat, etc, there are times that I can't rid myself of this notion that 60 is in some way my finish line and that whatever I'm to accomplish in this life, I better get it done before then. Yes, I know that this is completely irrational, but there it is.
Notwithstanding the desire to squeeze the most out of life's every precious moment, I find myself frustrated, with myself, with how much time I waste. Time that once gone cannot be retrieved. I have tried to spend as much of it as possible with my wife and children (sometimes to their great annoyance) but again know that I often fall short.
So while haunted by the thought that I have irretrievably missed something, I am, alternatively, heartened as my children reflect upon, through their writings or conversations, memories that I cherish, that I wasn't sure they even remembered. Such was my day today. Thanks Whitney.
My mom is 76 and in great health, perhaps I should start using that as my marker . . .
