#163 - Don't Like Looking Back

​But, really I do.
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​I just like choosing what I look back on. I'm ridiculously sentimental. I record things, I keep things, I ponder the past... when it's good stuff. I love old photos, like this one. It takes me back to our old Tulsa neighborhood, 20 years ago.  

This photo of happy kids, was actually taken the day we put the For Sale sign in the yard. I don't have a photo of the day our car pulled away for good.  That image would have shown The Hart Family, standing in our driveway, waving good-bye.  There wasn't a dry eye in the family that was leaving... or staying.

A Year Ago

I'm happy to remember a year ago, when Don and I stopped in Tulsa and spent a couple hours laughing with our dear friends, the Harts.  We hadn't seen each other in years, but only spent a little time focusing on the past.  We were too excited to talk about the future. We knew our families would be together soon, celebrating the wedding of Kim and Dan's daughter. 

In the Moment
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A few weeks after seeing the Harts in Tulsa, I got to enjoy a little time with Mother of the Bride. It was fun to live in the moment and enjoy the beautiful wedding and evening. There was a time or two, when I was happily reminded of the past.. like when our 4 kids laughed together on the dance floor or posed for photos. And luckily I didn't have any special ESP skills or desire to ponder the future, that night. Less than a week later, I got my cancer diagnosis.

Don't Like Looking Back
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This photo shows the next time Kim and I saw each other. I don't love looking back on my wig and chemo days. But I don't mind remembering Kim's visit last fall, when she made me laugh and forget that I had another chemo coming up.

​Living in the Moment Again
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This past week, Don and I joined Kim and Dan in Florida.  When they Initially invited us, I took a look at the calendar and thought there was no way we could join them.  But in this crazy year, I've reminded myself that waiting for a better time, isn't always the best strategy. We had 4 fabulous days, enjoying whatever the weather brought us... sun, wind or thunderstorm. We enjoyed the moments... as well as a few old stories! 
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From Oklahoma to Florida
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In this week-old photo, my hair seems to be the only reminder of change.  I could ponder all that has happened or changed in the 12 months since we saw Dan and Kim in Tulsa. Instead, I'll focus on the future.

We'll see Dan and Kim in November, at our son's wedding... if not before!