I made it … I survived! I am 40.
It hasn’t been all that painful. I actually feel pretty excited about the “second half” of my life.
I don’t know if I’ll make it to 80, but I’ll give it a shot and see what happens.
The highlight of this momentous mile mark came during a surprise gathering my wife put together. I was told when and where to arrive, but nothing else. As I walked up to the location, I was welcomed by a crowd of people who have been a huge part of my story since moving to Middle Tennessee seven years ago, none of whom I knew before our move. Some I’ve known from the very beginning … others I met in the last year, but all have been a rich part of my experience.
The great gifts my wife gave me that evening were love (expressed by the presence of people I love deeply) and perspective. She put together a slideshow that spanned my life. She secured letters from distant places written by some of my closest friends. She invited those who were present to share impromptu thoughts with me. It was encouraging, overwhelming and sobering to take in the significance of all these relationships. I suppose it was what someone might experience if they were to attend their own funeral. I heard what mattered most to people who have been in relationship with me. I wonder if we ought to do stuff like this for each other with greater regularity … a reminder of what really matters most.
I left that evening reminded … how we choose to live really does impact the people around us, something very easy to forget. I make plenty of mistakes, but people seem to pay the most attention to the overall direction of our lives. The listening I’ve done has been as meaningful as the talking. Striving earnestly to know and walk with God encourages folks more than supposedly “arriving” at some man-made destination of holiness. Lasting friendship is as much about grace-filled resilience as anything.
Like George Bailey at the end of It’s A Wonderful Life, I feel like “the richest man in town” – blessed to be in relationship with such incredible people. I’m grateful to my wife for so great a labor of love. I look forward to continuing this journey with an amazing community of broken yet hopeful people.
