Golden Moments

A lot of bad things seem to be happening lately.  Not just in the world, although of course the bad things happening there are too various to mention, but more particularly in my little corner of it.  In the last few weeks people I have known my whole life have passed away, family members have had surgery with more to come, tornadoes and storms have done damage in my hometown and destroyed others and dear friends are dealing with sick family as well.  And it's a little disheartening.  I told my mother the other night that for just awhile I would like everything to just be ok.  Not to expect each time I talk to someone to hear that someone else is sick or dying or in the hospital or whatever.  It would be a pleasant change of pace because thus far 2012 has kind of been a kick in the pants.  And I had high hopes for this year. 

But, as life often does, this weekend it reminded me that everything is not always gloom and doom.  Oh there's plenty of that, but there are also plenty of "golden moments" to remind us of the good, the fun and the joy.  And this weekend was full of them.  There was bad news and scary moments but the golden ones kept the balance. 

What's a golden moment?  It's those perfectly perfect moments that you wish could go on infinitely.  That make you think how perfect and blessed and good life can be.  For me they started Saturday morning at my late grandfathers auction.  What could have been a sad event actually turned out to be fun. It was a gorgeous day, I was with family and, as it turns out, kind of lose my mind a little at an auction.  Let's just say by the end of the event the auctioneer had my buyers numbers memorized.  I went home with an impressive haul and a bit of an adrenaline rush.  Cut to the afternoon spent with family watching the UK basketball game.  Everyone happy, for the moment ok and perfectly happy in each others company.  Golden Moment.

That evening I went out on the town with my group of friends from school.  We had fun, danced, laughed, sang along with the band and enjoyed ourselves beyond measure.  Memories were made, potential blackmail was witnessed and Golden Moments were experienced.

Cap off the weekend with what is, to me, one of life's great pleasures.  Rolling along on the road, windows down, radio blasting, singing along like it's my American Idol audition and the judges are very impressed.  Nothing is quite as beautiful as early spring in Kentucky and in that moment I found another Golden Moment.  Complete peace, contentment and joy in something so simple.

Because really, aren't the moments I've described what life is really all about?  The simple things, the friends, the family, the laughter, the joy in something silly.  They more than balance out the bad-they make is bearable and give you strength to face it.  They give you hope that things can in fact, be ok.  That life can go on and be absolutely beautiful.  Golden even. :)