North Carolina, as with most of the south, seems to be crackerjacks over firecrackers.

The fact that there is a drought, lo kindling for miles on the InterState as far as the eye can see, does not deter the pyromaniacs from their passion. The booms and bangs in the night with the obligatory fire engine/ambulance whistles to follow started in May. Church youth groups sell fireworks on every corner as a fund raiser, oblivious to the irony of God-fearing folks selling explosives.

Now I love a well organized fireworks display (I know, I know–they symbolize bombs bursting in air). In fact, I am nuts about fireworks as long as you leave it to the professionals, AKA the people with knowledge and experience of, chemicals, computers and, say, trajectory. In truth, I am probably gun-shy of the random Darwin-Award wanna-be with lighter fluid in one hand and an M80 in the other because of the kid (read boy) I knew growing up who blew off several of his fingers . Then there was the other kid who blew a hole in his hip carrying a cherry bomb in his sweaty jeans pocket. Nonetheless, the thrill of fireworks remains, “Ah, Ooo!”

So here is a rhetorical question: (I think that’s the only kind there is in print media, duh!) Is your life filled with emotional fireworks? (OK, that segue was a bit rough, but hey there’s someone setting off bottles rockets next door; I’m stressing out a tad.)

Because I just read that according to a Poll funded by the Pew Foundation Baby Boomers are miserable. Are you miserable? I’m not. But then I work on keeping the fireworks in my life every day. It’s an art form and a discipline I learned from my Grandmother. Excitement and joy doesn’t just fly through the window. (Misery however does.)

FYI: These are the people I have found to be miserable. People who dwell on the past as the ‘good old days’ (so what’s today, chopped liver?). People who when they screw up rehearse a lifetime litany of similar errors, as if God’s love isn’t big enough to forgive AND let it go. (Extra bonus points if you self-talk negatively calling yourself derogatory names.) People who live in rainy, dank, dark climates. People who are postponing joy. This last one brings me to an epiphany I had the other day.

HERE GOES: Life is like an amusement park ride. It can be scary, hairy and fun all at once. The thing is when the ride is over you have to get off (apologies to Shirley McClain who is in the back screaming, “Again, again”). The fun doesn’t come after the ride, it comes DURING the ride. Be it a sailboat ride, a horseback ride, a Roller Coaster ride (OK I have to admit I close my eyes during this one and miss the entire thing). The thing is this, if you are not happy or joyful every day for small wonders then you have missed the ride. By the time you ‘wake-up’ it will be over.

So, your assignment Mr./Ms. Phelps is this: create fireworks in your life.

I planted 2 blueberry bushes and 12 strawberry plants this Spring. Now every morning on my oatmeal I have FRESH berries. Today I even leaned over and ate a few right off the bush (Look Mom, no hands). This week I put up 2 hummingbird feeders and I have had flying emeralds and rubies ever since. I wrote and received back a letter from a niece who attends the camp I went to. Another niece just wrote to say she is expecting her 2nd child. Life is sweet and wonderful and worth acknowledging EVERY MOMENT of EVERY DAY.

And oh, yeah, I still am on heavy drugs for the pain of a destroyed spine. And yes, I am going through a 2nd divorce. And yes, one of my kids has stopped talking to me. And yes, I grieve over every woman who is being abused, every child whose innocence is being stolen and every single one of our troops stuck in a war without end. But there is no dichotomy between caring about the world and rejoicing they are two sides of a coin called compassion and passion. So be on guard…misery loves company and I’m going to have to send a ‘Regret’ to that RSVP!

YOU HAVE THE POWER! Light up your life with 10 simple things a day, 20 things to be truly grateful for and look for 3 miracles and 2 answers to prayer. Choose to see the possibility of all you are and look for ways to brighten the path of all the ‘invisible’ people in your life (you know the mailman, the check-out person, the bank teller, the cable installer).

Choose fireworks, don’t become a miserable Baby Boomer statistic!

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