NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS TOMORROW

No matter what happens tomorrow

I know I will enjoy today.

Remembering all of the smiles that you have given me,

Remembering all of the encouragement that has come my way,

Thinking of all of the places that we have seen together,

Capturing the flavors and scents of lands that we enjoyed,

Picturing the towering mountains everywhere we journeyed,

The flowing rivers, the waterfalls that seemed to pour forth from the sky,

The sun baked deserts, the mountain trails, the red hot lava at our feet,

The glaciers, so wild and so beautiful it took our breath away,

The eagles soaring overhead, the wildlife putting on a show for us,

All is in our memories, and we will never forget them.

No matter what happens tomorrow

I know I will enjoy today.

Friends and family beckon, memories of the old days abound,

Pictures of our loved ones are always in our mind.

Children grow up and become parents such as us.

Grandchildren and even great grandchildren make their place in our hearts.

We marvel at how the whole world seems to work

As if there really is a pattern as to how we live our lives.

We watch and we love and we know why we are here,

No matter what happens tomorrow,

I know I will be happy today.

MY HUSBAND THE DIPLOMAT

It seems like I have been trying to pin my husband down on some subject or another for as long as I have known him. That has added up to 25 years or more now.

No matter what I asked him about something, what was his opinion about it, how did he feel, I could never get a “Yes” or a “No” out of him.

Even a simple question like did he like chicken, or salad, or did he prefer ranch or blue cheese dressing, do you think I could get a plain and simple answer from him? No, it would be “not too bad” or “I’ll eat anything” or “it really doesn’t matter to me.” On more serious questions like, “what do you think?” or “what color car should we buy?”, do you think I could get an unequivocal answer?

No way! Over the years I learned to adjust for it. If he didn’t say “no”, that he didn’t like something, then I could just go ahead and do what I wanted, I reasoned. Most of the time it worked because I could more or less tell what he was saying by his actions, not his words.

So basically we have pretty much been doing what I wanted! That ought to be every wife’s dream, right? After years of trying to pin him down on his likes and dislikes I have finally come to a more reasonable conclusion.

My husband is really a diplomat. He looks at every side of everything and tries to pull them together. I think he has really missed his calling. A true diplomat is very important in our world. He is the one who pulls people and countries together. He keeps them from going to war with each other. Our families and our country are much safer when we have good honest diplomats who can work for the betterment of all.

Having decided to look at all of this in a completely new direction I can now smile to myself and realize anew I have the perfect husband. After all, didn’t I tell you he never says “No” to me?

Bob Rider, everyone’s friend, a great man to enjoy life with, and an excellent diplomat! Who could ask for anything more?
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REASSURANCE

Today I needed to know that you love me,

I needed to hear your voice.

I needed to feel your loving embrace.

I needed to see the twinkle in your eyes, just for me!

I needed the warm feelings that come to me

whenever I think of you.

I need to know that no matter where you are

or what you are doing

You care about me, no matter what!

And so what did I do? I found a favorite place to sit

And I became still and dreamed a dream of you.

I realized that what I needed I already have.

Husbands, wives, parents, beloved friends, sisters, brothers,

our children and grandchildren, I send my warm and

productive thoughts to wherever you are.

Somewhere deep in your hearts, you are feeling

The loving energy that transcends all of the negativity

of the world.

The certainty of my love for you has returned all of the

peace and love to me that I was yearning for.

I am reassured by the knowledge that we are all

One together, united in love.

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IF SOMEONE GAVE ME A MILLION DOLLARS

If someone gave me a million dollars

And I could do whatever I wanted

Would I spend wisely, would I spend foolishly,

Would I spread a little love, or

Would I just put it in the bank,

Look at my account book,

Feel a sense of security,

And know that I am safe from all of the fears that bind me?

If someone gave me a million wishes

Would I spend wisely, would I spend foolishly

Would I share them wherever I went

Or would I just keep them in my mind or heart

Know that I am safe with all of my wishes

And not feel the need to share them?

If someone gave me a million hugs

Would I give them wisely, would I waste them foolishly

Would I share them wherever I went

Would I know that I am blessed with all of the hugs,

Or would I keep all of them hidden from

A weary world who definitely needs them?

I hope I would want to share my gifts.

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THE GIFT TO MYSELF

Dec. 4th, an auspicious day for me. Today is the day that my #2 son, Randall Wm. Jager, reaches the magnificent age of 60 years. And tomorrow, Dec. 5th, my #3 son, Alan Wayne Jager, becomes 58 years of age.

It doesn’t seem possible, of course, that I could have given birth to men of this age. Not to mention the number #1 son, Stephen Jay Jager became 62 years on Nov. 9th. And trailing behind them in years only, is Martin Earl Jager who reached 55 years on March 27th.

Thinking about all of them and how alike and yet how different they all are, has brought back a lot of memories. They are all good dependable men, have their own place in society, and are sons to be proud of.

Steve is the oldest – he got to go first on everything, to be the boss to his brothers, and the one to set an example. He excelled in school, became an Student Council member, and graduated with honors. He has been a father to both children and stepchildren and a successful workaholic all of his life. He has a great job on an oil rig in Pennsylvania and other states. He is an avid reader and we all know where he gets that from, me. And when you want something worked out you can depend on Steve to figure it out.

Randy also did very well in school. He then enlisted in the US Air Force where he was chosen to be one of the four airmen that lived in underground missile silos where they guarded our country, a great honor. Randy has always been our loner – takes after his mother that way. For years he has been a gold prospector in California, and for a long time I had trouble keeping up with him. But besides that he has become a truck driver all up and down the Western States. He and I have a great relationship via text most of the time.

Alan is #3, and when he was very young he was always the goof off in our family. The one who could make you laugh or drive you crazy. He could fix anything. He evolved into a very hardworking oilman, saved his money, built a house, started a great business that he took over from his father, Preston Jager, and became a staunch business man. He raised a wonderful family that we are all proud of, and he even became a politician. Now he has just taken on a new job as Holton Township supervisor in Michigan.

Finally, here comes Marty, the youngest. As did his brothers he did well in school but his life took on another meaning when he joined the US Navy, where he rose thru the ranks and made us all proud of him. Marty also took on the care of both children and stepchildren and has done a wonderful job of it. Now, after retiring from the Navy, he is employed as a mechanic in Florida. He is a very thoughtful and loving person to all who know him.

When I think of all four men I think of how proud their father, Preston Jager, was of them. He too was a hardworking, intelligent, family man, and that has carried over unto all of them. All four of them have been wonderful to their two stepfathers, Gary Bosley, and Bob Rider. Both fathers made a great contribution to the loving men that my sons have become.

My “boys” are loving, courageous and dependable, and how much more could any mother ask for than to have sons like these? They will always be boys to me. To know that they love me and care about me is the greatest gift of all.

THE MOON IS WELCOMING ME HOME

The moon is welcoming me home.

It is shining thru the bare branches of a Michigan maple tree.

I sit on our bed and watch.

To the north the Big Dipper sparkles in the clear midnight sky.

The beautiful moon is glowing.

I can see it reflected in the mirrors of the room about me.

Below my window I can see the lawn and the silver apple trees

In the orchard spread their welcoming branches to me.

I can see the farm spread in every direction,

Waiting for the oncoming spring,

Knowing they are about to bloom in splendor.

It is true. I am home!

The world is rejoicing with me by enfolding me in its beautiful light.

It is showing me my path, my way forward, and I am grateful.

It is so good to be home again.

A GOOD DAY FOR PARENTS

Spring apple blossoms 003

There might be a better gift that a parent can receive that will fill their heart with joy, but I find it is hard to think of one. This morning I received an alert that one of my sons had a birthday on Facebook, and would I like to write to him and wish him well? Of course, I thought, I had already sent an e-card, but I would do it. But I found that some other people had gotten ahead of me already. The outpourings on the page showed me that I wasn’t the only one who had warm feelings for this man.

We have 5 sons, and 2 daughters. Three of the sons don’t show up on FB much, altho their families do, but the other two sons post often. And the daughters? When any of them have a birthday online, it makes us as parents proud that so many others appreciate them, and the lists of well wishers are so long and so loving, that it brings great joy to us. We must have done something right. The diapers, and the crying in the middle of the night, the endless washing of clothes, the PTA meetings, all are long forgotten, and here we are. Our children are all fully grown, they are loved and respected by their families and friends, and we can smile and say Thank You, for all of our many blessings today.

Happy Easter, everyone.

SPEAKING OF CURRENT POLITICS

Maybe our main problem is that our current candidates are a reflection of what some Americans have become. As a people we are expecting the candidates to be much more principled in everyday life than we are. And when they fail as humans do, we see everything in strict “either this or that” instead of realizing that in a democracy we have to learn to compromise. We expect the candidate to be all our way in everything or we denigrate them. It is better to be an independent to my way of thinking, and to pick out the person that fits most closely regardless of party.

On a lighter note, I wish to pay tribute to a grandson who was replying on Facebook to a disgusting picture of some desecrated graves. He said, “One person with a spray can, that does something horrible, is just one person. Showing kindness, love, and respect makes your life matter. Showing it to others lets them know you believe that they matter. If we all do this it won’t take long to understand that this Planet is far too small for hate. The need for and the ability to love is in us at birth, but hate is taught and learned.”

As a society we need to listen to the voices of our young people, who remind us of our better natures.

WHAT IF

What if I had known when I worked in this beautiful building, so many years ago, where my love for books and my experiences would lead me? in 1950, 1951, and 1952 this was my home for two hours a day, Monday thru Friday, and eight hours on Saturday.

This is the Hackley Public Library in Muskegon, Michigan, and it really was home to me. The Children’s Room was on the 2nd floor, and one of my most vivid memories is walking up the long, wide, and steep stairs, to where a world full of books awaited me. I was only about five when I started climbing those stairs. My mother made sure that I got there almost every week. There were many thousands of books because it was one of the best libraries in the United States, and it had been given to the City of Muskegon by a lumber baron, Charles Hackley, and endowed by him. He also gave a hospital, an art gallery, a school, a bank, and many other gifts. Every year we would have a program in our schools honoring him and then we would be free to go home, so as children we especially loved Hackley Day.

The library had a rule at that time that a child could check out books only from the Children’s Room until they got to the 9th grade. But long before that happened I had found friends and family members who would go with me to the downstairs stacks and check out books for me. My most prized possessions were my books, and reading was everything to me.

When I reached my 16th birthday the first thing that I did was go downtown to the library and submit an application for employment. My first job was upstairs with the children. I couldn’t wait until I could go there every day and read whatever I wanted to. The first year I shelved books, pushing a big cart, and I used to compete with myself to see how fast I could do it. By the second year I was typing catalog cards and helping to mend books. And whenever I could I was sneaking books that I wanted to read to the back room where I had a secret stash.

Every day I walked from our high school about 3/4 of a mile to the library. One of my good friends, Marion, worked in the library also, but downstairs, and we would scurry together. When my work was done I ran to the bus stop, a few blocks away, to catch a ride. Several miles later I stepped down and hurried home to the supper that my mother had ready for all of us. Occasionally I would miss the bus and then I would really hear about it when I got home late. In the winter it would be dark and cold, and I would be somewhat nervous walking the 2 1/2 blocks.

In the spring of 1952 I applied for work as a savings teller at the Hackley Bank, and was really excited to be hired. My father was so proud, because at that time 17 year old girls just didn’t work in banks. I felt right at home there, in a bank named Hackley.

Many years have gone by since those early days but I have never lost my love for reading every book that I find, and now I have carried it forward by writing about the love that I find wherever I go. Books are the bridge between us all, and watching our young children as they discover the fun of reading is one of the great pleasures in our lives.

WHAT WILL MY GRANDCHILDREN REMEMBER ABOUT ME?

Lake Michigan at its absolute best

Sometimes a question will just leap out from the page to bring forth a multitude of tumultuous thoughts. That is what this one did for me. I have 6 grandchildren from my own sons, and five from my husband’s family. Then I have 6 more from 2nd wives of my sons after they were divorced and remarried. Another grandson was adopted out 30 years ago, and yet another grandson drowned at 18.

The ones that I had the closest contact to turn out to be the ones that have had problems with their parents because of divorce. A strong bond is formed when a child and a grand parent have to face difficult situations together.

So all of these children will remember me in different ways. Mostly they will remember the grandma who loved the mountains, who lived on the IPad and loved to write. That is why I published my first book, so that they would get to know me better. Some of them will remember me as Grandpa’s second wife, and that’s really grown more loving with time and experiences. Almost all of my grandchildren live a long distance from me, and I have very little physical contact with them. But e-mails, phones, and Facebook can be a wonderful thing. I can keep track of their families, even tho sometimes I shake my head, watching their lives go by.

And there are some grandchildren who still end their calls or notes with “No Matter What”! They will remember that I was there for them when they really needed me, when their whole world was shattered, and these relationships have lasted twenty years and more, and grown ever stronger. Because of them I feel that I was in the right place at the right time, and did what needed to be done.

I am really fortunate to have all of our extended families, and I hope they will remember me fondly, no matter what. I have been lucky to have all of our grandchildren to love and to cherish.

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