Remember the disappointment when your paintbox got messy? The brush and the water mixed up the colors.
Remember the sadness when the seat of your swimsuit wasn’t smooth any more? The side of the pool picked at the fabric.
Remember the shock when your shiny bike rusted? The rain and the air played nasty weather games.
Remember the year you realized you were getting old? Father Time finally said,” Gotcha!”
Were you thirty-five? Forty? Forty-five? Fifty? Later?
Lovely watercolors from the messy paints.
Gorgeous strokes despite the picks in the suit.
Miles of happy pedaling on the rusty bike.
Dame Agatha Christie wrote, “I have enjoyed greatly the second blooming that comes… at the age of fifty, say… a whole new life has opened before you.”
Enjoy the second blooming. Some jolly times ahead!
Friend For The Ride 
I was 19 when I first thought “I’m not getting any younger”
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But c’est vrai, you’ll always be YOUNGER!
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Second Blooming! I love that term! I hadn’t thought of life in that way but it’s true. I am doing the things I want to do now that I’m not restricted by work, child rearing, PMS, etc. It is a much more relaxed time, time for writing, gardening, reading.
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I thought it was lovely. I’m actually not sure how I found it either, but it makes me want to go read some Agatha Christie.
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What a wonderful way to go about life and I love the colors in the paint box! Carmine and vermillion! Really, how lovely. I was 49 when I first felt “age” but I still don’t feel “old” whatever that means.
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I love thinking about the kids (most likely) who used those lovely colors.
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Thank you, I really needed that! I am about to turn 46 and it’s so hard to believe!! Where does the time go??
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I have no clue where the time goes. I get a little grumpy with myself, for living some of those days grumpy! (especially when my kids were really little. Now I just think about how cute and energetic they were and wonder why I was so grumpy. Probably has something to do with the play dough smushed into the kitchen floor.)
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yes, I regret that I was grumpy too when they were little! I’m sure it was all the play dough and other messy things that consumed our days that made us weary and worn out at times :-)!!. You get a kind of re-do with the grandchildren! And it’s awesome!
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Can’t wait! Play dough here we come…
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what a fun and colorful and positive post!
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Thanks!
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And what about when the 64 Crayola crayons lost their sharp points? And you had to sharpen them in that sorry excuse for a sharpener? More and more frequently, I’m feeling like those not-so-sharp Crayolas…
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The worst is when they broke. I remember putting both pieces back in the box, but it was always pretty sad. I agree about the sharpeners, but I always gave them a whirl (pun slightly intended.)
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Happy first day of spring birthday to Kath’s Mom.
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Thank you so much!
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This post made me smile! Happy Vernal Equinox Birthday Barbara. You brought back the memory of someone making that first smudge on my brand new white Keds – and I still ran around the basketball court scoring points! But back then we actually polished our sneakers. Don’t tell the young’uns 🙂
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Didn’t we put the rolly kind of white shoe polish on them? I do remember how sad it felt to have them get dirty. I remember buying colors some. I guess the colors must have come in and out of style.
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I think I might be a bit older than you! Cause I remember that spongy thing at the end of an applicator. And no colors for me – I’m thinking around 1960 (I would have been 12)? Hmm now I have to google when colors came out!
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Yes, you’re right. It wasn’t rolly but spongy. You’re not that much older– just a few years.
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Happy Birthday. I’m 49 and luckily I still don’t feel old…okay, sure, there was that time when my silver hair blew back from the calendar pages flipping so fast when a student worker asked me who was Henry Kissinger.
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LOL. Gosh, remember when Henry was all over the news and so was his tall elegant wife Nancy!
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“Miles of happy pedaling on the rusty bike.”
oh… that can be taken so many ways. It made me smile. Thanks, Barbara!
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Hope you had a Happy Birthday! Looks like from KERF that you had a wonderful time at the beach with your girls. Congrats on your new grandbaby too, he will be here before you know it!
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Thanks so much! Yes, we had a great cake and a great trip. Can’t wait until August to see the munchkin!
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Reblogged this on bestofbarbara and commented:
I loved this post and asked Barbara Younger at Friend for the Ride if I could reblog it on my site. As you age you look at life in a different perspective. Maturing is about accepting what is and not wishing for what has already been. Enjoy!
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Thank you, Barbara for being my guest
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