I have been thinking a lot about how the chapters of our life book will be written. As we age our life book is open. Our chapters are written one day at a time. We allow our life to be exposed, for the most part with Facebook and other media, for all to see. As we live through the final chapters of our life, we should strive to make sure our life is worth viewing and hopefully a comfort to those that we love.

Many of us had humble beginnings. The success in our life came from hard work and simply doing the right thing. You are a role model whether you think so or not. I have people in my life who think I am better than I know I am. That humbles me and makes me want to do better.

One chapter in my life is done. The farm I grew up on is being sold. The place where I stay, when visiting relatives will no longer be available for me to use. It has been in our family since I was 10 years old. It is where I learned about life, death, working and fun. The farm brings back many positive memories for me.

The thirty-six acres was the place where I spent countless hours hunting and fishing. We swam in the creek. We hunted frogs. We would shoot deer, rabbits, squirrels, quail, and ground hogs in the fields. We killed copperhead snakes. We raised goats, then cattle and had horses. We baled hay. We had a thriving truck garden operation.

I believe that farm gave me the work ethic and principles I possess today. The farm was a good place to be from. It gave me a life worth living. I have never been sorry that I grew up on a small family farm. Going forward, the farm will just be a chapter in my life. Now that I am 68, it is time to write another chapter from a place where memories are made. That process has already begun.

A little of our life story is being written every day. We are the authors. To an extent, we control what will be written or spoken about us. At our age we already have a good start on our autobiography. Our accomplishments are something our families should be proud of and share with us. Of course, there will be times when we fall short of the expectations set for ourselves. When that happens, we pick ourselves up and start anew. Strive to be the person your family thinks you are, even if you have your own doubts.

Some chapters are written in a day. I can think of marriages, sports accomplishments, births, deaths, and such. Those are important chapters in our life! With free will, we get to write the story!

All of us had interesting things happen to us. We had moments that shaped who we are. We had people who influenced us and brought us to where we are today. All of us have a story, done through chapters of our life.

Live a life worth living. You already have chosen a career that helps your fellow man. Be proud of who you are and where you are today. Never settle for c’est la vie. (That is life, such is life.) We are always told hindsight is 20/20. That means, we can clearly see what we did right and what we did wrong. I have been told many times, “It is what you do when no one is watching that shows your true character.” As we approach the next chapter in our life, make sure when it is read, it will be a comfort to those we love.

See you next month.