Past Lives

By: Emily Eileen Moreshead

As I get older, I’ve become more (painfully) aware of the passage of time. You never notice this as a child or even as a much younger adult but in the last year, my life has changed me in ways I never could’ve imagined.
Material things which once mean so much to you, don’t carry such a heavy weight anymore. This does not negate their value, it’s just a lighter load.
Family is worth more. Friendships mean more. Life becomes more fleeting and precious.
As I get older too, I find myself less interested in the mundane aspects of life, perhaps knowing that life is even shorter than I knew. I want to be happy, work at and where I love and not feel like a washed up, stressed workaholic anymore. It’s a difficult process but one I believe we all go through. And while many of us will never have the financial means to truly chase our dreams, it is still important to have them. In my opinion, it’s vital. Without dreams, we lose our desire to carry on and continue the mundane things we must do to live.
I’ve always been a writer. I remember writing my first story at age seven, and running around the house with it to show it off to my sisters. I was a voracious reader as a child as well, soaking of intricate tales of intrigue, fun, and memories. At 12, my dream was to be an FBI agent; at 20, an actress. And now, in my mid-thirties? Happy. I want to be happy. Writing does that for me. And while it may never be a primary source of income, I will always be a writer. It’s my past, present, and it’s my future of happiness.