Living in the Past:  Back when I was growing up, it was always a treat to go to grandmother’s house.  One of my earliest memories of her is being in a park somewhere together feeding bread crumbs to ducks.  It was thrilling and I suspect may have something to do with my lifelong fascination with ducks.  If I’m not mistaken Grandma also had some nice treats for us as well.

Grandma lived in Lansing, Michigan which was also home for many years to the production plant for Oldsmobiles.  Named after Ransom E. Olds, the Olds Motor Works was founded in 1897 and over its 107 year history manufactured 35.2million cars.  It was 12 years ago today that Oldsmobile began phasing out its operations.  Fortunately, grandma didn’t have to see that.  Grandma passed away in November of 1980.

Life teaches us we have to let go of precious things.  We get other gifts in their place.  I became a step grandfather back in 1993 to a beautiful baby girl named Alexandra Elizabeth, who today is a competent, intelligent, and beautiful woman.  I would love to see her more often than I do, but that only makes the time I do so much more precious.    This makes me think of the man who found perspective after losing much more than I ever have  “and said:  ‘We bring nothing at birth; we take nothing with us at death.  The LORD alone gives and takes.  Praise the name of the LORD!”  Job 1:21 (CEV)

I have seen many good people and experiences come into my life and then leave after a time.  I keep learning it is best to not see them as mine, but rather as gifts for only a little while.