The Graying of America...

Those of us who were born between 1946 and 1964 are called Baby Boomers.   We have accomplished social change on several levels and in several areas of American life.  We have, on the lighter side, survived the peasant blouse and bell bottoms and have made jeans acceptable even for weddings. Our generation has made some outstanding movies, and has contributed positively to the world of music, and electronics.  Although Boomers may not be able to take credit for GPS, Post-it notes, microwave popcorn or luggage with wheels, our generation has brought a great number of things into being. What would our lives be without Tupperware or the imitations thereof?  Think of the positive contributions of cat litter, cable TV, the Zamboni, the crash test dummy, and the airsickness bag, not to mention Buffalo Wings, WD-40 or the lint roller. The list could go on and on....

On a more serious note -- we continue to make major contributions to the economic stability of our country because we have the money power of being the largest population group in our wonderful country -- or close to it. We have given birth to, have taken care of and, in some cases, are still taking care of Gen X and Gen Y while at the same time caring for our parents. What a job! Some call us the "Sandwich" generation because of this. No wonder our hair is turning white...or graying. 

Might as well face it, Boomers, we are literally the "Graying of America"...at least those of us are who have come to terms with our gray or white hair. It's not so awful.  Think of it this way.  We are in good company. When we band together, we are an impressive "gray wave". Seriously -- a close look at our generation speaks pretty well for us -- you just have to ignore a few things...but then -- every generation makes mistakes.  Just think -- Gen X and Gen Y are going to have to own up to being responsible for reality TV. There is that.

It's the little things...and more...

I was out and about today and found that three days in a row of blue sky and a bit of sunshine boost the morale of almost everyone. This is not surprising, but what I noticed even more were the smiles -- affirmations that people had made it through a difficult winter and are still standing. Entire faces smiled - including eyes.  You don't always see that.  Everywhere my errands took me -- people were smiling for no apparent reason -- people were literally walking around, shopping, chopping the remnants of winter ice, shoveling, holding doors for others, pumping gas, speaking to strangers -- all while smiling.  It wasn't total lunacy; it was lovely. I have talked to people about this kind of thing before and this morning was no different.  I chatted with several smiling people as I moved through my morning. You already know what I found, but maybe it is worth repeating...maybe it is important to remember and  to think about sometimes - like now as the season begins to change.

It is more than just the passing of a long, hard winter. It is more than the little things that often make a difference in life. It is more than those first signs of Spring -- a little sunshine, a warm breeze, the song of a bird  -- it is what those little things call to mind:

• a hint of new life...
• a suggestion of the process of beginning again... a fresh start...
• a reminder to us on some level that it is never too late to become who and what we always wanted to be...

Then along with the suggestion of all this is the smile factor...it is so important to remember the ability of a smile to communicate with others.  A smile is so simple really... simple, but powerful. When you bring a smile with you, it reaches out to others; it changes the whole atmosphere around you...for the better. We are responsible for the energy we bring into a room, a store, -- into the world around us in general in our every day encounters. It's not so hard to include a smile. It's such a little thing really..but more.  

Out of the mouths of babes....

I will confess.  Since my grandkids will rat me out anyway (probably already have), I might as well get "in front of it".  Here's the situation.  My daughter and son-in-law went away for a long weekend, and I moved into their home to stay with my just turned 8 grandson, my just turned 4 granddaughter, their dog -- the lovely Luna, and their two cats - who shall remain nameless at at this point in time.  Picture my situation for a moment...one Nana, two kids, three pets. Obviously it was the perfect opportunity for a "staycation".

I was in "Nana alert mode" - had been for days -- in a bit of a state of nervous anticipation of our time together.  Nothing bad was going to happen to any of them on my watch and nothing did.  We managed well -- lots of fun, lots of laughter, extra books at bed time, etc. -- and a bit too much of  "The Song That Never Ends".  (I need to remember to talk to my son-in-law about teaching them that song.) They are fun kids and they think almost anything I do is funny...so sweet really. Bless their hearts.

Okay  -- now for the confession....     I, Nana, am the one who:

• allowed the kids to have Klondike bars for breakfast -- more than once.
• allowed the kids to have Belgian waffles with strawberries and whipped cream for supper -- once.
• fed the dog from the table -- more than once.
• broke the glass casserole dish -- once.
• spilled the beverage at the Dairy Queen -- all over all the winter coats -- once.
• almost let the kids wear the clothes they had slept in to school because I got temporarily confused about the time change -- once.
• allowed one child to have pink lemonade with pizza -- once.
• allowed seconds on root beer so as to come out even with the grilled cheese and fries -- once.
• drove the kids to school in the clothes I had slept in -- more than once.

So -- I confess.  Although I did not totally enforce the healthy choices of the family eating policy and was a bit flexible in bed time routine rules, we laughed a lot and spent a great deal of time making fun memories.   I, for one, had a great time.  I think the kids did too, but -- I also think that they did find the change in routine sometimes a bit bothersome.  After the episode where I spilled my beverage all over myself and their coats, I did hear my grandson say softly to his sister, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger..." Her response to him was to lean toward him and sigh as only she can.   That says it all.   These children make my heart smile.  

"..., can Spring be far behind...?"

You are not alone.  Almost the entire country is sick of being cold.  Some of us have just had a little bit more of the cold and winter weather than others. A case in point is the police department of a town in Tennessee that has issued an arrest warrant for Elsa.  Seriously.  How funny is that?  

Yep -- I love to see how people keep their sense of humor in winter. I admire them. Those who don't head to warmer climes (if they can find any) and brave the cold to paint flowers on their snow banks or to ski and ice skate to and from work while smiling are remarkable.  They make me smile even if they are a bit too much for me to handle sometimes. You see -- I have had enough of winter -- I have now become so grumpy off and on that I can barely stand myself.  I laughed when I heard this guy on TV tell his friends in Southern California that he was sick of their postings on social media about how concerned they were about those of us in colder, more wintry climes. He told them to stop posting pictures of their smiling tanned faces. I understand him.  Last week I found myself standing in front of my bathroom mirror actually debating whether I could take off my silk long underwear long enough to shower. This is true. It happened. There are days when I pad around my house with my warmest bathrobe on top of my clothes and hope that no one comes to the door.  I sleep in fleece sheets -- not flannel -- fleece -- deep pile fleece.  I now think it is time for shorts and tee shirts if it gets into the 30's. Come on -- I know I am not alone in this.  I talk to people. I talk to people I have never seen before about "stuff" like this and also about heating bills and wind chill factors. Those of us who dare to venture out in bad weather always talk to one another...it is a bonding between those who suffer from cabin fever. We are kindred souls. We are desperate for a bit of green.  We are done with what my son calls the "snirt" (snow + dirt) and have endured the "snowpocalyptic times" (self-explanatory).

Yes -- it is time for Spring to arrive.  I am actually eating out of my freezer instead of talking about doing so and, now and again I find myself spending time watching the ice form inside my windows and wondering how much damage it will do to my woodwork when it thaws. I listen to my house groan and think about things like frozen pipes and the weight of the snow and ice on my roof.  Now here's a plus -- sort of.  I did not run out of fire wood this year.  Reason? The caps on my chimneys are frozen shut.  I have been unable to have any fires.  I am trying to look for the positives...honest.  It's now March -- Spring is just around the corner.  Right?