I'VE NEVER BEEN THIS OLD BEFORE

(I am on the left)
The other day my son asked me how I felt at my age. I said that I didn't know yet because this is the first time I've ever been this age. I asked him why he didn't ask me how I felt when I was 18 or so. I remember that quite well. After all, I've been 18 nearly four times now. Now that, I can handle. It seems that every time I am 18, I get a change of life. The first time I was 18, I came to the conclusion that I would never be able to compete in professional baseball. It was rather difficult to face that realization down, but God helped me through it.
The second time I was 18 I had another change of life. It was time to make another life-changing decision. I did it. I had the spiritual strength and the emotional drive to do it. So now I have a lovely and loving wife and two marvelously loving and generous children.
The third time I was 18 I was living in a location that was about 180 degrees away from that to which I had become accustomed. I learned a lot during that period and it was almost like I was in my 30's again. It prepared me for my my latest change of life, just before the fourth 18 year cycle.
You would not be reading me here if I had not been prepared for this. This is my "JONAH" moment. A priest friend of mine (Father Romy Seleccion, MS, weekly contributor to ParishWorld.net) called my wife and me to come to Moreno Valley, California to help in his parish. We are here. I met ParishWorld.net here and it gives me the opportunity to talk about God all the time and to walk with Him, hand in hand every day at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
To all of you I say, stay 18 years old all your life and no one, NO ONE, will cry at your funeral. Isn't that what you want? God bless you all.