 Worth Keeping Tom Moore air date: 7.25.11 When Jenny and Burton asked me to be a part of this thing they have going on here and write a little something I was really excited to share a little mindstream with all of you because I think their vision is inspirational, refreshing and all of us can, and should, take something from it. Plus, for a guy who has never been referred to as “at a lack of words” this is the perfect forum. So here it goes…  As I am approaching my 30th birthday I have been thinking a lot about the last decade of my life and how much change it has brought. Family, friends and friendships, countless paradigms and above all, my wife. The single best thing that has happened to me. A decade, from college to mortgage, with a lot of transformation. That’s why the questions Burton proposes at R&W, “In what direction am I walking, and why?” and, “Did I choose this path or was it just the most convenient?” really resonates with me. The more I have thought about it, the more I have realized that I’m still learning about everybody, everything, myself and how it all fits together. If you think about it, from 0-10 Mom and Dad had you covered, 10-20 teachers, after-school activities and all the mania that comes with puberty gave you enough to deal with, but 20 to 30 is yours to take care of, put some structure to and figure out. Nobody to answer to, or for, but yourself.  Like a river it has kept rolling along, flowing, never the same. I’m headed in the right direction and the more I surrender to the flow the easier it is to enjoy the ride. The one constant we face in our lives is change. It comes in different forms at different times, but planned for or surprised by, welcomed or cursed, it inevitably comes. The more I have come to understand this the more I have seen what is really important and what really isn't in the grand scheme of things. What’s worth keeping, what’s worth fighting for, what isn’t and how do I decide? In many ways life decides for you. Some things you choose and some things just are. How you react is completely up to you though. For me, throughout all these changes, family and friends have been my sounding board, my backbone and strength. I look to them for guidance and I hope that they can continuously learn from me as I do from them. The progression of my family as my sisters and I have grown up puts a smile on my face just thinking about it. Coming to know my parents as true friends and understanding  more now than ever the life lessons they taught me without my even knowing it is something I am extremely thankful for. As I have gotten older the wisdom they instilled in me has proven invaluable more and more. The friends I have chosen and grown with have molded my beliefs and taught me the importance of what true friendship is. No egos, just understanding. Some have come and gone, naturally and abruptly. Leaving my life on good terms and unfortunately some times bad terms. Friends who have moved away have gotten closer while friends who are close have grown farther apart. I am happy though that throughout all the ups and downs I have friends who I have learned to grow with. Friends whose knowledge I can learn from and make my own.  The best example of that would be my wife. She has taught me more about myself than anyone. She is my best friend. We learn from each other constantly, respect each other and probably most importantly she holds me to being true to myself. She is there to keep me in check when my head gets a little too big or I need to change my perspective and look at things from a different angle. Amidst all these changes that are taking place I look forward to the future and what it will bring. Ready to live, laugh and love. Ready to look back in another 10 years and smile at how much has changed. Like John Lennon sang, nothing you can do but you can learn how to be you in time- it’s easy. All you need is love… ~TMoore |