I cannot be the only one who is amazed that the year is nearly over. It’s a cliché to say that the days pass slowly while the years fly by, but it’s a cliché because it’s true.

When my children were little, I was gifted a copy of the Family Circus cartoon which showed the frazzled mom which four children, one hanging from each limb. Off to the side, an elderly lady makes the comment: Enjoy these days because they go by in a flash. While she means well and it is well

intentioned, the mom - at that instance - just wants to get through the day.

But it is a good reminder that we need to slow down and savor the days because the years go by in a

blur. Whether you are in the time of life where small children are your focus or its the first month of your retirement, everyone needs the reminder to stop and savor the moment.

One of the most common questions I receive is whether I have any children still at home. With seven

children, they have one-by-one been flying the coop, with a few returning to the nest as they figure out their lives.

Recently, I was in the Helping Hand thrift store shopping when the cashier said how much she likes

reading my columns, especially those that I used to write about my kids. For years, my children provided plenty of fodder to write about.

My friend Jennifer used to work for a pest control business, which took her into various businesses

throughout the community. Occasionally, someone would figure out that she and I were friends and

would ask if all the stories I told in my column were really true.

Oh, yes, she would exclaim and she should know, as she once walked into my house soon after my

oldest son had shot one of his brothers point blank in the chest with a BB gun while my husband and I

were on vacation. While that should be the apex of the story, it was my mother-in-law chasing after the

injured son with an aloe plant leaf as the solution to the shooting which remains the visual image of the evening. Ultimately, Jennifer left the house with the oldest son and the BB gun in tow.

And if you still need verification that the story is true, just stop by the YMCA and ask Erik to see the small bump on his chest.

When I think back about these stories, they seem like just yesterday when in fact decades have passed.

A lot of it is a blur because I was that mom in the Family Circus cartoon, just trying to get through the day.

If it wasn’t for all the pictures and mementos and hospital bills, I would wonder where the years went.

Just another reminder to stop and savor the moment.

As my children have gotten older, they haven’t been the focus of the columns as much because either

I’m not as observant (possible), they aren’t doing as many ridiculous things (doubtful), or they just don’t let me know what they’re doing (most likely)...or a combination of all of the above.

Actually, what I have determined is that it is just a shift of what catches my eye. The inspiration is less

likely to involve covering themselves in peanut butter from head to toe and more of their evolution into fully-functioning adults.

A recent story involves one of my sons, but ironically from a distance. A few months ago, my friends and I were trying to find the home Nebraska volleyball game on TV. After stopping at three different locations, we finally found it at the Axe House in McCook. With the tables in the front part of the bar taken, we went to the back and had a TV for just the three of us.

When the game is broadcast on a restricted channel, this broadcast is a little different because the

commercial breaks don’t feature traditional ads. Instead, the camera focuses on the volleyball court

during the timeouts.

Somewhere in the second set, a couple people from the front tables wandered back to our area,

obviously coming to ask us a question.

“Is the game on time delay back here?” one of them asked. I leaned over to look at the TVs in the front of the restaurant and replied, “We are maybe a second or two behind but no, we are watching the same game. Why?"

“Because you guys are back here cheering during the commercials, not during the game,” they

responded.

Jennifer - yes, the same one involved in the BB gun incident - quickly answered, “Oh, that’s easy to

explain. Her son is one of the UNL cheerleaders and we’re cheering every time he safely brings the

cheerleader back down to the ground during their routine. We’re the cheerleaders for the cheerleaders.”

The children may grow up but they still provide plenty of inspiration if just take a moment to recognize the things going on around us.

Whether it is the rush of the holidays, getting ready for the end of the year or being in the thick of winter sports, we need to slow down every now and then, to be present in the moment and to savor the small things that make up the days, which so quickly turn into years.

Oh, and make sure you have an aloe plant nearby if you have a loaded BB gun in the house.