My Milestone

Why do people choose to do the things they do? Simple… Milestones!

They say life is short. People struggle every day to survive. Strive to be successful and to be loved. So, what causes individuals to act or react the way they do? Simple… They just do look at the bright side of things.

I, for example, was diagnosed with an exceedingly rare form of leukemia. Instead of letting hit take me, which it tried twice, I decided to fight. Yes, it did ruin my marriage, cost me my job, and the chance at any future wealth and success. However, I was able to reach many milestones that, had I given up or chose a different path I might not have reached.

Milestone number one was beating death. Everyone believes in some form of afterlife, God, Allah, Buddha, or nature. I found my true believe while lying in a hospital bed. People search for answers to life after death all the time. Well, you really do not want to know that. Because…. You have a life now. Live it. That is what I discovered. Once you pass on, a new situation is created. Live in the moment. Reach of the next milestone.

Milestone number two was living to be 50. Five decades of life. Some of it hard, great, scary, fun, and full of love. Still fighting HCL, I was not sure I would see that age. It was a year full of firsts. I turned 50, while my children turned 25, 21 and 16. I wouldn’t have seen any of that had I chose a different path.

Milestone number three. Becoming a grandfather is the rebirth of a soul. It is natures way of telling you that life is awful, but here…. Have something extra special to make for it.

The other day I saw a sunrise. I had forgotten what they looked like. My old job kept me from seeing the sun for many days at a time. I was either working or sleeping. Now that I have a fresh look at things, I happened to be up at the right time to see the most precious sunrise in all of my life in the mountains of my hometown. This was just four days after my grand daughter was born. Just another way nature tells you that milestones are right there to be grabbed, changed, and lived.

Every day I get up, put my feet on the floor and say, “another day here”. I then do what most people do, get coffee, grab the tech and read the news… Somedays it is good, sometimes it is the worst information you would ever want to read. People of this precious planet have lost focus on what could and should be important. Themselves and others.

Tragedy has hit this planet. Pandemics, wars, terror, and hatred. However, if you look deep enough, you can find something good. Something right. Behind the death, destruction, hatred, and violence, there are souls helping. People giving to those that need it. People helping to stop the violence. Remember lost loved ones or remembering the past so not to repeat it.

It is hard to find these milestones in the news and in the world. Sometimes covering what is right and proper doesn’t sell. Writing is not easy. Journalism is not easy. You must take the pain from the pouches and learn to get up and keep going. Like fighting to beat a horrible disease, if you stop, you lose.

People chose the paths and choices that they feel is right for them. If they let others choose for them, the outcome can not be considered their success or failure. But the individual who chose that particular path.

Milestones are achievable. They take time, money, pain, happiness, and pure devotion to reach sometimes. However, they are achievable. I hope my readers take these words and put them to good use. They say pay it forward is the right thing to do. I feel, not only is that right, but necessary. One other important thing that people are forgetting, is history. IF we forget our past or remove the memories and reminders of it, we are doomed to repeat it. Just look at the history of the world. Nothing really has changed. It has only gotten worse. Why? Maybe the world has lost focus on reaching the milestones that they set for themselves.

A new year is coming. Everyone makes a proclamation or new milestone goal. A resolution some call it. Most “resolutions” are never achieved. So do not call it a resolution. Make it a milestone. Something that must be achieved to make your life, or someone else’s life, better. Live to see that grand baby again. Choose to help someone in need. Choose NOT to get angry over something that you cannot control.

This can only be achieved if you work at it. But if you choose to make you milestone a resolution… You might need to just avoid the extra donut during your coffee.

People choose milestones and paths for reasons only they know. Let them, choose. Do not aid or guide. Just be there to help.