Friday, November 15, 2013

The gift of time

Marie Antoinette.....Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.....Vincent Van Gogh.....Sylvia Plath.....Anne Frank.....Joan of Arc.....Princess Diana.....Caravaggio.....John Keats.....Alexander the Great.....

What do all these great historical figures have in common?  They all died at an early age.  And it seems rather strange to look at it this way, but I have spent more time on this Earth than any one of them did.

Earlier this week, I celebrated my birthday......a big one (4-0).  I try very hard not to think about age as a specific number.  Rather, I try to focus on being grateful.  I have something none of these great people had: my forties.  And each of them made a big impact in the short time that they lived; I can only hope and try to make my own impact too.  Entering my forties doesn't feel like "getting old."  It feels like I've been given a remarkable gift, one that, sadly, not everyone is given.  And while some have changed the world in less than 40 years, I've been given a little more time to make a difference.

The best birthday gift ever: the gift of time.  I intend to use it well.


-Cheryl

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