Birthdays, anniversaries, paths through the calendar

[shalanna]

Today, Nov. 11, would have been my mother-in-law's sixtysomething-th birthday.

Well, actually, I think it still counts as her birthday. She left us around three years ago. Must be three, because my father-in-law has been gone four, and my first dog three-and-a-half . . . I think. Isn't it weird how I can't even remember exactly? The years blur. Years go by faster as we get older. It was forever between Christmases when I was little. Now it seems I'm hardly cleaned up from Christmas and over it emotionally before my birthday (in March) is hitting, and then suddenly it's midsummer, and then it's time for fall and holidays again. Zoom, zoom, zoom (as the car ads say). Yet it also seems as if an infinite amount of time has passed. I can hardly remember things that weren't that long ago.

But I can sharply recall things that happened REALLY long ago. Maybe it's normal to remember things that happened in your childhood, teenhood, young adulthood fairly clearly . . . and the times around traumas and major upheavals. Or maybe it's old age and living in the past. I don't want to give that stuff up, though, so we'll assume it's normal. All fodder for the writing mill.

Comments

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

Hm. That sounds familiar. Ever seen how small those huge elementary school halls really are, as an adult?

And here's synergy; I was just listening to this:

Circle
lyrics and music by Harry Chapin

All my life's a circle;
Sunrise and sundown;
Moon rolls thru the nighttime;
Till the daybreak comes around.

All my life's a circle;
But I can't tell you why;
Season's spinning round again;
The years keep rollin' by.

It seems like I've been here before;
I can't remember when;
But I have this funny feeling;
That we'll all be together again.
No straight lines make up my life;
And all my roads have bends;
There's no clear-cut beginnings;
And so far no dead-ends.

Chorus:
I found you a thousand times;
I guess you done the same;
But then we lose each other;
It's like a children's game;

As I find you here again;
A thought runs through my mind;
Our love is like a circle;
Let's go 'round one more time.

Chorus

Thank you

[shalanna.livejournal.com]

I love Harry Chapin! I liked the songs on the albums that never got played on Top 40 radio.

Thank you for the FullCircle reminder. *sniff*

[funnelwebkitten.livejournal.com]

i was in the bathroom today, and i suddenly realised that today was the anniversary of my grandfathers death..

and you know I couldnt remember which year it was, because i was only 12-13 when he died, that was so long ago, i have trouble remembering the year, or the event anymore.

and i think thats sad.

[ladyjaguar.livejournal.com]

But I can sharply recall things that happened REALLY long ago. Maybe it's normal to remember things that happened in your childhood, teenhood, young adulthood fairly clearly .

It's entirely normal; it's the way our brains work as we get older. Maybe it's part of a self-assessment in the autumn of our lives.