Yesterday afternoon I decided that I would go down to Broadway at the Beach and enjoy some shopping. While wandering about the strip, I stopped at the IMAX theater to see what was playing. The next show to be on (in 15 minutes) was "Monsters of the Sea" in 3D....so I payed my $13 and went in. From the time the movie started, I was amazed at the 3D effects. The so called prehistoric monsters would not only come out of the screen to look you in the face, they would swim past your head, as if to actually brush you on occasion. It was one of the best IMAX films that I have seen.

The show was over at 2145 and the "famous" Broadway Fireworks were set to start at 2200. Never having witnessed this "must see" before, I found me a spot right next to the railing that surrounds the lake. As I stood there wishing that time would hurry up because I had other things I wanted to do, I noticed something that I really haven't paid attention to before. When children are waiting for something such as these fireworks to start, they are filled with such anticipation....you can see it in their faces. They rarely take their eyes off of the spot that they know the show will come from, and if so it is only to ask, "how much longer". But as I looked around I saw many senior citizens that were smiling and pointing to where the fireworks would come from....with almost that same child-like glem in their eyes. One pair inparticular caught my attention more than the rest. The couple looked like they were well into their eighties, and as I watched them assist each other I wondered what their life was like, and the dread of getting old crept into my mind. While I stood there watching them and imagining what I would look like when I get that age, the elderly gentleman stood up and walked right toward me. He came up to the garbage can that was just to the left of me and threw some papers in it, but as he did, he looked at me, smiled, said hello and then looked up in the sky and said, "isn't this the most beautiful evening"? I nodded my head and replied, "yes it is"...but in the next second I realized that it wasn't a clear night at all...as a matter of fact, it had been raining all day and the clouds were ready to burst open at any time, drenching us all. I watched him as he walked away, but he didn't return to his seat. I noticed that his frail companion was looking around for him and at one time it seemed like she was almost in panic because she couldn't see him. After about five minutes, the old gentleman returned, this time holding two ice cream cones. The look on the face of the lady was priceless and I saw her wipe the tears from her eyes. I had to wonder whether it was because she had become afraid when she couldn't see him or was it perhaps their first date from 50 yars ago that he had just recreated....I will never know. Just as he took his seat, the fireworks started. Never have I ever witnessed such an incredible display of fireworks so closely. It was breathtaking. During the final seconds when the explosions were great and the smoke was heavy, I once again glanced at the elderly couple. I saw the man lean over and with the napkin that he was holding, wipe a small spot of ice cream from the ladies cheek. Then they both just smiled at each other and went back to watching the show. When it was over they both clapped as if they were at a musical production in New York City.

I walked away feeling happy inside. That elderly couple made me realize that getting older isn't something that we have to fear, but that it is a time when we can enjoy life again. It's the years between college and retirement that we forget how to live.

The silence that I hear everyday is deafening. It's the first thing I hear after turning off the alram clock in the morning and It's the last thing I hear at night. And in between those times there are moments of silence throughout the day. Even moments when I am surrounded by people, I can hear the silence that awaits me. The sound of the front door closing as I enter this house, is one that leads to silence. Memories of times gone by are just a precursor to the silence that follows. A child rides by on his bicycle and I can hear him laugh, then once again, silence. The sound of silence echos throughout my mind and sometimes I am sure that I hear someone call my name, but as I turn to answer, there is nothing, only me and the silence the surrounds me. The walls that surround this fixture I live in, ensure silence. My ears cannot hear for the silence and my heart cannot feel because of it. These ties that bind me only hold the silence closer. The path that I have chosen to travel has brought me here, and now I stand alone, in silence. The wind will whisper every now and then, and it reminds me that this silence has not taken away my ability to hear, yet. I hope that one day it will blow loud enough, that I will never have to hear the sound of silence again.

In this crazy world we experience many things that we aren’t able to understand. We go through trials in our lives that test our faith and our ability to function in normal every day circumstances. We find ourselves looking around at others and thinking how much more fortunate we are than they, and then in the blink of an eye, our own life changes and we think there is no one else as sad as we. From the loves that we find and share, to the burdens that we help others carry, our lives are filled with trials. We learn from our parents the values that we will carry with us through life, and sooner or later, will always return to. We learn that there are people that will come into our lives for just a short time and even though we are not ready for them to leave, our destiny is different from theirs. We stand and question our existence and wish that we could see our futures, while at the same time knowing that if we could, the whole mystery and thrill of experiencing life would be void. Through change, or death, we lose the people in our lives that we love most, and at those times we feel that we will never smile or know happiness again. Then one day, you feel the sun shining on your face and you realize that somehow you are smiling again.

Life isn’t easy. Life isn’t always fair. Life is a gift that we must not take for granted. When you feel the urge to reach out to someone in friendship or to tell someone that they are special or you love them, take the time to share those feelings. So many regrets are born because of fear and so many friendships are lost because of pride.

In my life I have experienced the loss of my mother, the loss of my husband and the loss of a man that I thought I would be with forever. Through all of these I was certain that whatever else happened in my life, I would never find happiness again. But eventually the hurt got less and less and once again (after each and every time) I found something to smile about. Whether it was a memory or a story about that person, there was always something to smile about.

I have learned that the greatest gift you can give, is your time....and no matter how much time we have with someone we truely love.....it's never enough.