Going Home

By bjaybrooks on
Comic panel titled REFLECTIONS with two men discussing faith, family, aging, and enduring values.
Two men discuss how faith, family, and aging can change while core values remain.

I was listening to former President Obama and Tom Hanks talk of parenthood faith and how it changes as we get older. One of their perspectives was that things look different the closer you get to the end of your life. I reflected we are so different yet so alike. We notice the little things more realizing they are the big things. Good food good friends…laughing till our sides hurt. How the sun looks at sunset. How good a good cup of coffee is.

Comic scene with family laughing; text reads “HAHA!”, “HEEHEE!”, “STOP!! LOL!”, “AHAHAHA!!”, “HAHAHA!”, “HAHAHA! I CAN’T BREATHE!”, “OH, STOP! HAHAH! IT HURTS!”, “STOP!! I’M DYING! HAHAHA!”, “OH, STOP! HAHAHA! IT HURTS!”, and “HAHAHA! SO FUNNY! OOF!”
A family erupts in contagious laughter during a lively living-room gathering.

The old movies were called Flicks. The movie projectors of that time made a flicking sound as the frames soared by. Such are the days of our lives. If we do not look quick they are gone memories. When MJ and I saw Seinfeld perform last Saturday night I thought of how life had changed since his show was first run on television in the 90s. When we entered the 90s the decade seemed so mysterious much as the cartoon The Jetsons. It was the last decade of the century. I had not considered that I probably would be a person who would live in two centuries. I remember watching a Seinfeld episode in the hotel on our Great Western Vacation and thinking how much I enjoyed the series. When Seinfeld concluded its run I collected the four TV Guide covers with a Seinfeld main character on the front of each. TV Guide was a collectible magazine in its day…just ask Frank Costanza.

Collector sorting magazines; speech bubble reads, "YOU CAN'T THROW OUT! THEY'RE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS! THIS IS A COLLECTION!"
A collector carefully sorts vintage television magazines while defending their historical value.

Understanding each other is a long road. Our life experiences bring us to different conclusions. Understanding comes from active listening. Listening with no agenda to speak. Listening like you do with your favorite pet to understand their rhythms and rhymes.

Four frogs sitting on a mossy log over an autumn pond at sunset
Four frogs perch on a mossy log as the autumn sunset reflects across the pond.

The sun is setting over the trees on the far side of the pond. The trees have a golden hue against the pale blue sky. The Bullfrog Quartet is practicing their Friday Night Concert. They are in good voice. They know fall is here. Sounds good to them. The Bullfrogs have a sense of place. They notice the little things. The little things are their reason for singing. Life is a magical dance in the moonlight. There is a bit of fairy dust on our shoulders as we wake up each morning. We have a special joy when we think of the journey, we are going home.

Smiling older man walking a small white dog along an autumn path
A joyful older man walks his fluffy dog along a leaf-covered country path at sunset.
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