On Turning Sixty
Welcome, brother, to the 60’s club! I am proud to be your sister, but mostly, I am proud of the man of God you have become.
Congratulations! You now qualify for senior citizen discounts. Not trying to make you feel old! Really!
As I recall memories of our childhood, certain snapshots continue vivid in my mind.
I was 5 1/2 years old when you were born, but clearly remember the excitement that cute, little red-headed baby boy brought to our family. You turned one year old the month before I began first grade in Natalia.
Daddy fenced in a giant play yard (palm leaves spread over the chicken wire roof to provide shade) in the front yard. You rode your little trike and played with toys, as Mom cleaned the house, periodically checking on you. How times have changed! I doubt that in this day and age a toddler would be left unattended outside, even briefly.
One day I came home from school to discover you had caused a little excitement in the neighborhood. Convulsions, brought on by a high fever, had given Mom (along with a few neighbors she summoned for help) quite a scare. Needless to say, you were pretty lethargic the remainder of the day.
I believe apologies are in order for the times your big sisters were less than kind to you. I’m not sure what possessed us to come up with the wicked idea to convince you that the eggs in the henhouse were in jeopardy of not hatching unless you sat on them in the absence of the mother hen. Shame on us! But it did provide a few chuckles. I sincerely hope you find it in your heart to forgive us!
The year we moved to Devine, you entered first grade, Sherry was in 3rd and I began junior high as a 5th grader. With the birth of Brian the previous year, our tiny house in Natalia was busting at the seams. The new house on Transportation Drive in Devine felt like a mansion. The acre of land, complete with an old barn, offered ample space for hours of outdoor exploration.
Strangely, I don’t have as many specific memories of you after our move to Devine. I recently read some old letters I sent Greg during my times home from college. I wrote about chauffeuring you to and from school and other activities.
You were entering high school when I began my freshman year at ACU. Greg and I married between semesters of our sophomore year. By the time you started college at LCU, we already had two kids, and Greg had accepted his first employment position in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
A special memory of mine is from Brian’s wedding—you and Brian walking arm-in-arm 
down the path, and the picture of you, Brian, and me. 
So, now here we are, in our 60’s, with much to be thankful for—solid marriages and amazing kids who have blessed us with beautiful grands.
Yes, we are richly blessed!
I thank God for you and pray that our relationship continues to grow stronger in this “Autumn stage” of our lives.
Oh, yes, and don’t forget that the 60’s are the new 40’s! We still have a lot of life to live!
Happy 60th Birthday, Ken!
And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Abraham Lincoln
