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I am half dead!

So, I turned 40 this past weekend!

When I moved to Estevan 19 years ago, I remember looking at the guys who had a career, two or three kids and a minivan and thinking, “Wow, those guys are old!” Thinking about it now, they must have been in their early thirties at the time! They were just young pups really.

Generally speaking, Sara and I do not make a big deal about birthdays. It seems a little odd to celebrate the fact that you were born on a certain day, doesn’t it? I mean, it is not like you had a choice in the matter. Nor is it really very special or unique (Everyone on the planet was born, so what is to celebrate?). We have parties for our kids, but she and I generally just get cards and a few small gifts. I figure that birthdays are not a big deal after the age of twenty or so.

However, I did think a little more about this one and the big thought that went through my mind was, “If I live to be eighty, then I am already half dead!” I know that is not the happiest thought in the whole world, but it is true.

Over the years, I have seen people (whether they are 40, 54 or 74) begin to “act old” and as if life had already passed them by. In the end, they were old, not because of their age, but because of their mindset.

As I was thinking all this through, Psalm 118:24 came to mind. It says, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” That is the key to enjoying life no matter whether you are 24, 44 or a 104, right?

We do not have to live as if we are “half dead”. At any age and at any time, we can choose to look for and concentrate on the good things that are happening right now, so that is what I am going to do.

I am also going to go for a nap (not because I am old, just because it sounds good).

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