What I miss:

• My parents.
• Newspapers—yes, I get news faster on my phone but there is nothing like the crinkly Sunday-morning-ness of a big, fat hard-copy newspaper. I know they’re still around but for how long?
• Weddings held in a house of worship instead of a “venue.”
• The sublime innocence of schools before mass shootings.
• Summers working at the Strasburg Railroad.
• Orioles games with Brian and his mom wearing her bucket hat and baseball sneakers—a die-hard fan if ever there was one.
• The huge magnolia tree (it’s still there, I checked) in my childhood backyard.
• A President I can respect, even if I don’t agree with his or her politics.
• My friend Deb, especially her irreverent sense of humor.
• The town where I grew up, the way it was when I lived there.
• My grandmother’s almond cake with bitter chocolate drizzle.

What I love now:

• Retirement.
• Writing and occasionally getting a piece published.
• Technology, even though most days I don’t even know what I don’t know. I love being able to connect with old friends, Google everything, and make calls from my car.
• Farmers’ markets and roadside stands. Don’t want my fresh fruits and vegetables dropped off by an Amazon drone. Ever.
• Netflix and Hulu.
• Singing with the Susquehanna Chorale.
• SNL skits especially with Keenan Thompson and Kate McKinnon.
• Wegman’s.
• Small businesses and personal service. Several times in the last week I had great experiences dealing with real people who were knowledgeable, professional, and kind.
• Ocean Pines.
• That we are living in the age of medical miracles. I think about the way my grandfather practiced medicine and how amazed he’d be if he were alive today.
• The quality and safety of the cars we drive. Anyone miss the vehicles of the 70’s and 80’s?
• Diversity and acceptance.
• My pain-free, less crooked back.

What I’m still learning:

• To be a better singer and a better writer and the realization that I’m not done yet.
• To grow a productive vegetable garden.
• That I need an app on my phone to remind me to get out and walk.
• How to do promotional writing and market a non-profit arts organization in the digital age.
• To be less violent with my electric toothbrush. My dentist tells me to just let it do its thing and not try to control it. Life lesson, perhaps?
• That sometimes you have to push back against the prevailing winds and fight for what you believe even when it’s not pretty. That nodding in polite agreement when inside you’re screaming “No, this is just wrong,” is not always the best option.
• That no matter how much I walk and exercise or try to control my portions, I no longer have the metabolism of a thirty-year-old or even a forty-year-old. Sigh…
• That the Holy Spirit is leading me somewhere. Thank you, Deacon Jan, for the reminder.
• To appreciate everyone I meet along the way.