It’s the beginning of August and at the risk of being accused of revealing the obvious—it’s too hot, too dry, the economy is in deep recession, Congress is spending more time fighting than fixing, the Swine flu is expected to make a return engagement and word is the price of gasoline is expected to rise again.
That being said, I thought I might put something of a positive spin on it all by asking some folks, young and not-so-young, a simple question and requiring an answer that can easily fit on the back of a standard size envelope (remember what Abe Lincoln was able to do with one side of an envelope).
Quite simply, I asked “What is the BEST part of your life right now?” It’s a question that each of us might want to think about.
Here are a dozen of the delightful responses I collected:
“Besides being alive and in good health, I am blessed with true friends. They make me feel rich!”—Maggie Pearson, age 77.
“Not feeling I must make my “mark” in the world but instead just live and enjoy it.”—Sharon Hubbell, age 63.
“Schlitterbahn”—Cary Walker, age 8.
“I used to wake up at 5 a.m. every morning to go to work. Now I’m retired and I still wake up at 5 a.m. but now it’s to watch the beautiful sunrise.”—Henry Martinez, age 69.
“My granddaughter—she’s my heart.”—Catherine Wurzburger, age 44.
“Living in a vibrant and progressive community with my best friend (my wife) and my family all in Texas.”—Michael Meek, age 56.
“All the dear people in my life, present and past, and realizing what treasures they are and have been to me”—Diana Baker, age 60.
“Being able to sit on my balcony at night, ceiling fans overhead to keep me cool, Gracie Fields’ record playing on the wind-up Victrola, an orange cat curled at my feet, fireflies in the garden, a good Maduro cigar, the croaking of the frogs in my waterfall and the sounds of the eternal summer”—Bill Mayo, age 58.
“Just us—my wife and me”—Paul Evans, age 67.
“My new job I began about 8 months ago after being in a job I hated for 10 years. It has made such a difference in my life”—Nancy Caldwell, age 35.
“The feeling and ability I now have to make my life what I choose.”—Dana Castner, age 40.
“At my age the best thing about my life is that I realize I’ve had a hell of a lot more sweet days than bitter ones. And that ain’t all bad.”—Thomas “Red” Hawkins, age 91.
