92 years went by in the blink of an eye

Today is my father's 92 birthday. He physically left this earth at age 83 after suffering many years from Allzheimers. Reflecting back on the 55 years of my life with him I can say it went so fast I cannot believe it. Good times and bad times were had and shared together. Like all of us he was not perfect but he was one who wanted to do his best and better himself and his family. He never stopped dreaming until Alzheimers took his mental life away. He never stopped being one who enjoyed dogs and little children (and maybe in that order) until Alzheimers took that away also.

I visited his grave with my Mother in Tennessee for my first time in 8 years last month. The head stone is complete except for the date of her death. Both his and her family share the cemetery. In fact, my grandfather, my mother's father, has the same birthday 11/13. He was born in the 1800's. This was an interesting visit as my mother, sister and I looked around at all the relatives already resting eternally. All salt of the earth people, most raised on dirt poor farms on the Tennessee/Kentucky border. All whose years went by in the blink of an eye.

Reflecting on all of this I wonder about the meaning of the fact that life goes by in the blink of an eye. I have heard it so many times. I can tell you the older I get the faster Christmas and New Year's comes around. My thought turns to the fact however that to slow the hectic pace of life one might consider just closing the eyes every once in a while to reflect upon life and the blessing it provides. Maybe this will cause the thought of the passing of ones life as in the blinking of the eyes to be tempered just a little.

But, we should remember that life eternal is not in the blinking of an eye but forever as in the story about "how long is forever" and the illustration of the humming bird who every million years flys once around the earth and swoops down to rub his wings against the earth and when the tiny little bird is able to brush away all the earth with his once in a million year trips then eternity has just begun.

Happy Birthday Daddy. And, Granddaddy. In the blink of an eye each of us here on earth will join you as eternal life begins. Happy Trails To You Until We Meet Again.