All good things must come to an end. In other words, the Kardashians will keep going on forever.
I didn’t watch much of the Olympics, but they are definitely a good thing. There’s nothing quite like the spirit of competition, while showing pride in one’s country. There’s nothing quite like the payoff of winning a medal after a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice. There’s nothing quite like seeing the superhuman feats of Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps, yet we all know their respective reigns will one day come to an end.
Each year, I look forward to the peach milkshake from Chick-Fil-A. I don’t eat a lot of sweets, but the peach shake is my weak spot. There are times I’ve gotten six of them in one week, and it’s only six because Chick-Fil-A is not open on Sunday. It’s only around for a couple of months each summer, which is not nearly long enough. Once again, all good things must come to an end.
In 2004, my Uncle Wayne and Aunt Nancy moved back home and bought a house in Still Waters after having been gone for 40 years. When I was a kid, they would come home to my grandparents once a year. I’m sure there were years they came home more than that, but I always remember them coming home around Christmas. It was such a highlight to see them, and we continued to see them at least once a year until their return.
Having them home the past 12 years has been such a blessing to me and my family. In fact, through this crazy thing we call life, I had the opportunity to live with them for a few weeks last summer before I was able to move back into my house. Being able to really get to know them and to hear stories about my family was priceless.
I learned things that I never knew. For example, I had an uncle who was Andrew Jackson’s personal physician during the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. I totally made that up, but I did learn some things about my family that I never knew and that I find fascinating. I sincerely encourage you to talk to your elders to learn about your family history. If you don’t care enough to ask, then who will?
Uncle Wayne is about to turn 80 and Aunt Nancy is not too far behind, so it was time for a change. They have decided to downsize and move back to Tennessee to be closer with their kids and grandkids. It makes sense for them to do so, but they sure will be missed. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, but I can’t be selfish. Now, they get to spend more time with their “grandchillen.”
I was very pleased that Mayor Fuller was re-elected for a fourth term, and not just because he’s my first cousin, once removed. He and my late father were first cousins.
Most of you would think that makes us second cousins, but it does not. Most of America is wrong on the assessment of their cousins. Cousins have to have the same set of grandparents to be first cousins. Cousins must have the same set of great-grandparents to be second cousins and so on. But I digress…
Mayor Fuller has done a remarkable job with our city. So much progress has been made in so many areas and Opelika could not be in better hands, even if he did attend the University of Alabama. One day, however, his tenure as mayor will come to an end, because all good things must come to an end.
We must enjoy every victory, every hug and every kiss, and if you like peach milkshakes, every swallow of peachy goodness. Seize the moment. Don’t worry about things ending, because endings are inevitable. Seize the day.
And now, good, bad, or indifferent, this article, too, must come to an end.
Jody Fuller is from Opelika. He is a comic, speaker, writer and soldier with three tours of duty in Iraq. He is also a lifetime stutterer. He can be reached at jody@jodyfuller.com. For more information, please visit www.jodyfuller.com.
