Those Golden Years

Yesterday was one of those crazy days that was nonstop from the moment I got up until I crashed into sleep at 11:00 last night. One event just rolled into the other like tumultous waves on the ocean with no time to stop, even for a second.

Because Jace had a doctor's appointment at 4:15, I got to work by 6:30. Yeah. 6:30. I actually beat the school bus (which is a beautiful thing). The morning whizzed by and it seemed like no time before it was 12:30 and Roy was picking me up for our lunch date. And then I closed up shop at 3:30 to head for home and pick up Jace.

By the time we got home, it was 6:00 and so I kicked into gear and made caramel brownies for our faculty family kids that were coming over for dessert and picked up the house quickly with Jace's help. And then? At 7:00 they all barrelled in--these adorable teens with all of their smiles and laughter and silliness. It was a fun hour with them and I think we're going to have a great year. They are one good group of kids.

And then...we headed over to the Knowles as John's sister is Nancy Thomas. And though that probably wouldn't mean much to most people, it means a lot to us.

Ed and Joy Pelto and Philip and Allison Thomas all worked with us in Wisconsin where 20 below zero is your average winter and where I hated the weatherman come June 1 because I was tired of predictions of cold. But Wisconsin Academy is nestled off the main road behind a line of trees and unless you knew it was there, you'd miss it. It's 20 miles from Madison, surrounded by cattle, and one can watch the sun go down as feel as though you could reach out and touch the sunset with your bare hands. It's a good place filled with good people and great memories. We were there for ten years and for eight of those years, John Thomas, Nancy's husband, was our principal.

We loved him.

After our ninth year in Wisconsin John and Nancy left for Africa where they resided for the following seven years; that same summer Ed and Joy headed for Mt. Pisgah Academy; and on July 23, SaJen--a girl who was family to us--was killed in a tragic car accident. It was a summer of loss and sadness and horror. It was the worst summer of our lives.

I well remember standing in John and Nancy's yard as they showed us where they buried Simba, their beloved dog, just before moving to Africa. And then we--with so many others--joined them in the den of their home as we laughed together and cried together at the reality that this part of the journey was over and a new one was just beginning. But oh I didn't want it to and I choked back sobs as I hugged them goodbye. And then I remember standing on the gravelled road behind the girls' dorm and waving goodbye to those Peltos as they drove away, the dust piling up behind them. They were our friends; our kids grew up together. Roy and Ed were best friends--a friendship built on the reality that they either had to forge a path together or spend their years fighting as they both headed up touring groups. Watching them drive away? It killed me inside.

One year later we followed suit and loaded up a truck bound for Texas.

And the rest is history.

So hanging out in the Knowles' living room last night while John told stories of his latest escapades and Nancy listened adoringly while Philip Thomas sat beside me and laughed quietly, shaking his head, and Ed's  laughter shook the room and Joy sat across from me, looking so sweet in her gentle way, and Roy sat beside her and interrupted with his wisecracks...well, it reminded me of a whole lot of wonderful.

Later, as everyone began to hug them goodbye, Roy went up to John and said, "You know, John. Those years at WA when you were principal? Those were the glory years."

And John said, "Yes, those were good years. But it's time to make some new glory years."

And then John Knowles said with a grin, "And that's exactly what we're going to do."

So as Roy and I drove home on the golf cart at almost 10:00 last night, I thought about that comment. Life whizzes by so quickly. Before you turn around twice, everything has changed. And the older I get, the more I realize how true those words are. It seems like yesterday my girls were babies and I thought they'd never stop fighting or whining. And yet now? They are adults and I would oh how I would love to have them little again and fighting and whining.

Sometimes we look back at times in our lives with nostalgia--and that's a good thing. Good memories make for a good life. But the truth is, every year should be a golden year. Every year should be filled with opportunity and beauty and stories of laughter. Life is all about attitude--making each day count; giving it all you got.

We have eight kids who have joined our lives as of yesterday. They are willing and eager to be part of our family, to have a bit of sanctuary in our home from the craziness academy life brings. I am in the throes of a new job and a whole new beginning in my own life. Roy has a world of opportunity in front of him with new teams filled with kids who are anxious to see what being part of a team means. My kids are in good places in their lives and eager to meet life head on.

This year? It's going to be a golden year. This year is going to be the best one of all.