Appreciate your past but don't get stuck there.

Last night I was struggling with a bad case of nostalgia.  Joey had to go back to college, Maddie is in Africa, and I was missing my mom who passed away two years ago. Plus, living in Florida, I was begrudging the fact that it was 80 degrees in January and not snowing.  I felt like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite, craving a time machine to go back and relive the past.  However, with no time machine in my possession, I did the next best thing.  I pulled out some old home movies and watched them with Sophia and Dominic. 

It’s funny, seeing how things were brings a heavy dose of reality. For example, every snowy winter would bring the kids at least two bouts with the flu.  I listened to an old sermon I had preached. I was ready to crawl under a rock. I think I preached a two-hour message in about 25 minutes.  After15 years, I have learned to pace my speaking.  

I even watched my wedding video. It showed how far Gina and I have come.  Our wedding AND reception cost about $500.  That included a gym with wooden chairs, a cassette player that played a friend’s mix tape, a chocolate fountain that had homemade punch flowing out of it and a friend shooting our wedding pictures and video.  My tech-savvy son was horrified by the video work and editing.  He didn’t think the video was even 5 pixels.

Here is what I came to grips with:

1-    I have been blessed with great family and friends.

2-    It’s alright to peak in the rear view mirror every once in a while, but there is still a lot going on out of my front windshield.  Don’t get stuck in the past.

3-    Appreciate the lessons learned back then, apply them now, and enjoy the fruit of lessons learned.

4-    Things weren’t as great as I remember them.  Every phase of life brings its challenges.

5-    Palm trees in January isn’t necessarily be a bad thing.