I remember thinking how old my Aunt was when I attended her big 50th bash. It's hard to believe that that was only about 15 years ago. I was so young and in the prime of my life. In some respects, so much has happened and changed, and in other respects, not much has changed in that period of time at all.  

In my younger years I tried to judge time by a four year time span because that was the period of time it took me to go from a freshman to a graduating senior in high school. Look how much I changed and matured in those long but few short years. The whole world changed drastically during those years. Then there was the four years in college, actually it was about five years for me. That also was a giant step in growth and change in the world and in me. Now just 15 years from my Aunts birthday and it all seems like such a minor insignificant period of time. Much has changed and yet not all that much. There hasn't been that great huge difference in the world and in my life that there was in just four years in my teens and early twenties. Life was going really slow and I had forever to live and make my life count and conquer. Now life seems to be flying by without any slowing down and there just doesn't seem to be as much time out there to do all the wonderful things I was going to do with my life. And yet there isn't the same type of urgency in the same way it used to be. Now the urgency is completely different for me.  

Grasping for success (whatever that means) has slowed drastically into trying to spend more time loving those around me and listening for the needs and hurts of those God has brought into my care. More time is spent on deeply analyzing what the meaning was in the last sermon at church, and listening to the beautiful sound of the birds outside. I spend more time pondering the thought that those around me are of truly unspeakable value as individuals and should never be overlooked or mistreated. They each individually deserve all I can possibly give them of myself and they all need to be loved and heard for who they really are. We might not have another chance to tell them how much we love and care for them.  

I have friends who make a lot of money and those who have hardly any, but neither has very many true deep friendships. I have loved ones who are still uncertain about their lives and what they are supposed to be doing with themselves.  

They have nothing valuable to die for so they have nothing worth living for. I'm so thankful that I have many wonderful friendships and loved ones whom I care deeply about and who care about me. I love my family dearly and am Blessed with an extended family that goes on and on. There is no greater gift and joy than this. No amount of money can buy or replace the multitudes of special individuals that God has allowed in my life.