A friend of mine recently posted an Onion article on Facebook.
It’s headline was:
Study: 38 Age It Too Late
Like many of the Onion’s articles it was based on elements of truth, this truth being that we can sometimes defeat ourself by thinking that our ‘time’ has passed.
I was reminded of a time in my past where I nearly let that self defeatism keep me from making one of the best decisions of my life.
Years ago at the age of 39 years old I attended a funeral of a former boss. When they told his story they discussed his marriage to the woman I had known all my life as his wife. They had been married for thirty years when he died. I did the math. He had married his wife at the age of 41.
This had a deep impact on me because I was debating whether or not to ask the woman I loved to marry me. I was 39 years old, divorced, father to three children and pretty close to broke. I knew I wanted this woman in my life but I couldn’t help but feel like maybe I had had my chance and the time to begin a new life was no longer available to me.
Shortly after that funeral I asked my wife to marry me and we are now in our 24th year of marriage. I am eternally grateful that I was able to be at that funeral and hear that message. I have had a life since then that I couldn’t have imagined for myself.
Today’s thought?
You can start over anytime.