Youngest

Today I am grateful for the sleet we got on top of some freezing rain. It helped make it far less treacherous on driveways and sidewalks. I am also grateful for the connections I have with others in recovery. It makes all the difference in keeping me on track.

Yule, yardage, yesteryear, yield, yearn, yolk, yet, yawn, and Yes (the music group) have all gotten space on Habitual Gratitude already. That leaves plenty of other "y" words to pick from. How about YOUNGEST?

The first two thoughts that come to my mind when I consider the word youngest are these:

1. Being the youngest of eight sisters.
2. My son Sam being the youngest of his generation on my side of the family.

Being the youngest of eight sisters is something I take a lot of pride and pleasure in today. My oldest sister Danita has about 13 years on me. My sister Ruth has about 15 months on me. In between, we have Aileen, Mary Jo, Ann, Leonice, and Zita. We didn't entirely grow up together, with that many of us and the years between. Still, there is much common ground and shared memories.

In adulthood we have come to appreciate our sisterhood more and more. The times the 8 of us have all been together at the same time in recent decades are few, but they are some of my most cherished memories.

Being #11 of 13, with five brothers joining the 8 sisters, has shaped me in many ways.

Since I was one of the youngest in my family, and didn't have my own child until I was 36, it's no surprise that my son Sam is the youngest of his generation among all of my sibling's children. It's also not a surprise that my niece has a son who is a couple months older than Sam. Generations overlap in large families.

Generations overlap. Experiences and milestones overlap. Gratitude overlaps.

The continuing surprise is how quickly all of these days and years move past. Youngest or oldest or in the middle, it all becomes part of our story.

Pause and be present in your own story today. Share your stories. Share your gratitude.

Comments

  1. Love the line- "Pause and be present in your own story today."

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    1. Thanks! I have missed too many pages in my own story because of overdoing. I don't want to miss more.

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  2. Did you have to mention how many years older I was than you? Funny I never think about the age difference. In many ways we have learned from each other

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  3. Well--I wanted to give readers a reference point. :-) I don't think about the age difference either, and let's just keep learning from each other and life. Thanks Danita!

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