Looking back with a smile.

I don't know why it is but I have always had the tendency to reminisce about my past. I do it with my wife, my buddies, and my family. It is usually a lot of fun, mixed with a pinch of sadness. It is hard for us to accept that any good times we had can only be remembered and relived in our thoughts and words. Maybe that is why I love to tell stories.
It seems like a very short time ago that I was starting the first practice of jr. tackle in Rathdrum, Idaho, something all of us boys dreamed about growing up. It was truly the pinacle of life at that time. Finally we got to put on pads and hit!!! I remember getting up early to go sit in line for pads in order to make sure we got good equipment. I remember walking to and from "the sheds" where our gear was stored, the way a helmet feels on your head, and how hard it was to get used to a mouth peice.
Those days are gone now, like many other good things in my life, and with the nostalgia of those memories always comes a little sadness. Thankfully I don't let it get me down, because I know several people who are depressed by good times in their pasts. Sounds silly, but it happens. I am thankful for the ability to look forward.
We have to be excited about our future, and the good memories we will make tomorrow and the next day. We have to look forward to the next pinacle of our lives, and then soon after, the next. Don't let the present pass you by when you are focused on the past.