Thursday, August 5, 2010

It's Official...

Yesterday, I turned the grand age of 45!  What does this mean?

Anxiety about my age.  My mother passed away at 45.  Yes, I think about it.  I am healthier at this age than she was at 45.  Wow, I said it.  "I am 45!" It was not a BLOW OUT Birthday as we are in the beginning of a new school year and my birthday fell in the middle of the week.  A small celebration it was.  Well, actually I am not sure I celebrated.  My daughter did the celebratory acts for me.  Children are wonderful and see a birthday as "awesome!"  I remember that feeling.  I do believe that this is the "Only day of the year to claim as your very own."  So, in essence.  It is another milestone of life and should be regarded as special.  It was.  I think.
    

So, I will share bits and pieces of my thoughts throughout this year.  Changing my blog up a bit to share other things that are important and some things that are less important but at least I will have something to blog about.  So, today this is what is on my mind.  Important? Ummm, maybe.  Thoughtless?  Not so much.  But it is something I am pondering for sure.

This is a picture of my first cousins and me.

It was taken in October 1968 at Gold Rush Days in Dahlonega, Georgia.  We chose our goodies from the festival of which has changed a great deal over the decades.

We 3 are now the "head" of our family.  
Me, 45-  Lee, 44-  Deborah, 46
.
Who knew that at this age we would have no family older than us living?  I am the only one with children.  Lee is the last male of the Thornton Clan out of Alabama.  It is kind of sad, really.  Deborah and Lee still reside in Georgia.  Lee is now the artist and curator of Foxfire Taxidermy on the Thornton Estate.  My uncle's legacy lives on at Sweetwater Creek State Park outside of Atlanta.  Several of his prize winning Taxidermy Animals are on display.  Lee will carry on the tradition.  At least I think so.  Deborah is into horticulture and pottery and lives in the N.E. Georgia Mountains.  We were very close growing up and our family always shared Christmas and special holidays together.  We also got together many weekends and shared family vacations when my family was stateside (Army Brat ya know).  I just find it so hard to grasp sometimes that we are, "it."  We lost Uncle Chuck in April and I know that my cousins must be thinking many of the same things that I now ponder. 

I feel that I am blessed.  I have 5 children.  But the Thornton legacy will be short lived.  My grandmother was one of 10 children where many families were born from her siblings.  But we are the last of the Thornton's.  I think back to many incredible memories and a childhood with lots of experiences shared with my family.  I just never knew or realized as we aged that the possibility of no hierarchy being alive when in my 40's.  It just does not seem right somehow.

So, this is what is on my mind this morning.  Mortality or the lack thereof.

2 comments:

Shannon said...

Hmmm.. some deep thoughts going on here, it's good to take the time to think of these things, but don't dwell... get excited, do something crazy now that your 45! ;)

laurel said...

Happy belated birthday!