Happy Birthday to Me!
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Happy Birthday to Me!
Last week I celebrated my 31st birthday, causing me to pause and reflect on my life. To me a birthday is almost like New Years. It€™s a time to make decisions about how I want to live the next year of my life. It makes me think about what I have accomplished so far and what I would like to accomplish before the next anniversary rolls around.
The evening before my birthday someone posed the question to me, €œWhat is the most important thing on a tombstone?€ I gave it as much thought as I could in the short time I had to stand there and ponder. He answered for me: it is the dash between the day you were born and the date you die. The dash is the most important thing on a tombstone. It represents your life€”all the days between your first day on Earth and your last. It appears on your memorial as a simple, plain line, but it is so much more than that.
I was speaking to one of my closest friends that same night and told her that I could not believe I was going to be 31 the next day. I feel like I should be 41, or maybe even 51. I did not say this because I feel old physically. I feel great and am probably in the best shape I€™ve been in since high school. I said this because I am amazed at how much I have done in 31 short years.
Not all of those things, most people would say, have been positive. I have made more than my share of mistakes, including addictions and costly business decisions. I have been selfish and sinned, but I have also learned. I have experienced real love. I have seen the beauty of God€™s work in people and on this Earth. I have been fortunate to travel and to meet people from all walks of life in many parts of the world. And on my 31st birthday I can honestly say that I am finally headed in the right direction.
I will probably have many more birthdays, but eventually that final date will be engraved on my tombstone. Until then I am going to keep working diligently to make sure I have one very impressive dash.
Erik Elsea
www.erikelsea.com
Quote of the Day!- €œIf you always tell the truth, you never have to remember anything.€-Mark Twain
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