Some Things I Learned in 2022

 

Diane usually writes our annual Christmas/New Year missive, but this year I asked to write it. The result was something a little different than usual. The following is an adaptation and expansion of a portion of it.

Some things I learned in 2022:

When all the kids in the family have turned 40, dad doesn’t have to be the adult anymore.

That can take some getting used to, but is greatly liberating when I can relax in it.

Becoming a Master Gardener is really, really hard!

It even took two years instead of one thanks to the pandemic, but she did it! Astonishing to me how much knowledge and skill Diane has in all things botanical.

When you’re 72, a gym workout is very different than it was at 50

And I have the detached tendons to prove it. It seems with age the tendons become the limiting factor rather than the muscle.

Bonus mom not only sounds better than stepmom, but better describes the relationship.

I still remember when the kids gave Diane a Mother’s Day card that, on the front, said, “If all stepmothers were like you…” with the punch line on the inside reading, “…there would be a lot of fairy tales without a plot line.”

Grandchildren still make us smile every time we think about them.

They’ve gone from little and playful to remarkable, smart young women. They continue to light up our life.

New cars think they are smarter than I am.

Ding! Ding! Keep your eyes on the road! Ding! Ding! Keep your hands on the steering wheel! Ding! Ding! You’re not in the center of the lane! Ding!...

When you’re a big guy with a mostly white beard and wear a Santa ball cap, you’re going to have some great conversations with young children at Costco.

One of the highlights of Christmas for me!

It’s never too late to learn to have fun, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy.

Learning to play when you’re in your 60’s and 70’s can be awkward and difficult, but more than worth the effort!

Some of the things we take for granted, many people can’t even imagine.

Three meals a day, a roof that doesn’t leak, a car that starts every time, a warm bed, family with whom to celebrate holidays, doing laundry at home, the list goes on…

You might be married to a 63-year-old woman with silver hair, but she still turns heads.

And for good reason!

Pain comes more than it goes.

I used to have a rule that only one thing can hurt at a time. That’s now more like wishful thinking. It’s part of the process though, and teaches me to be grateful for what doesn’t hurt (which is still far more than what does).

Time with friends and family gets more valuable.

As our time on this earth grows shorter, what’s truly important better comes into focus.

Sometimes finishing well means starting something new.

Finishing well means more than just not screwing up. While I’m still here I want to do more than just take up space.

You learn to be grateful rather than offended when the checkout person at Costco asks if you need help loading up.

I seem to have more and more opportunities to be grateful every day.

T-shirts and jeans are acceptable attire for almost any event worth going to.

Shorts and sandals for the summer. Maybe put an unbuttoned woven shirt over the t-shirt for dress up occasions.

Tuesday and Thursday are the best sample days at Costco.

But sometimes they trip you up and throw in a great Monday or Wednesday. Weekends are, however, always a bust.

We usually know we’ve offended someone pretty quickly, but we often don’t know we’ve helped someone until years later.

I’m slowly learning to make sure people know I appreciate them and what they’ve done without waiting. Sometimes it takes some time to fully realize the magnitude of what they’ve done for me, but when that realization dawns, I’m working to express my appreciation sooner rather than later.

 

About the only people Jesus had a major problem with were religious leaders.

Matthew 12 is a pretty good expression of his disdain for their behavior.

 

Never stop learning.

 

What did you learn in 2022? Let me know in the comments or drop me a note at threefingersbackblog@gmail.com.