Marie Snider - This Side of 60

Seventy years ago this month, I walked down the aisle of my high school auditorium and crossed the stage to get my diploma from our stately principal, Mr. Davis.
The school was called Lowville Free Academy and I was 14 years old at the time.

Last Saturday, we had a fun evening planned–dinner at seven, followed by Mexican Train dominoes.
Mexican Train is almost a tradition when our son is here to visit, as he was last weekend.
But all of our plans changed suddenly!
In the first place, our son arrived at five instead of seven. He immediately turned on the television and everyone forgot about dominoes.

Spring is such a wonderful time of the year!
As I write, the birds are warbling, the sun is shining, a stray crow is cawing, the trees are greening, the doors are open, and my back door flower garden is aglow with color–pink hyacinths, yellow pansies, purple phlox, and bright red tulips.

Editor’s note: Marie Snider began writing this column 20 years ago. Here is her first column that appeared in The Newton Kansan on Wednesday, March 18, 1992.
“This Side of 60” began syndication in August, 1992.
Life on this side of 60 is fun! Oh, I know life isn’t supposed to be fun, at least not all the time.

My daily calendar is of great importance to me. Before I go to bed, I take one last look at the saying for the day as I tear off the page and take a peek at my inspiration for tomorrow.
I’ve had the same daily calendar for years. But before I found the perfect calendar for my needs, I sampled many others.

When I first met the poems of Toyohiko Kagawa, I was 21 years old. Young and carefree!
My good friend, Margaret Meyer, and I were roommates as we worked at the church publishing house for the summer.
We were both writers and loved poetry. So that summer, we read poetry aloud and quietly. We bought books of poetry from the publishing house bookstore and also memorized favorite poems.

The holidays seem long past. But at our house, there are three things that still remind us of that happy season.
Our welcoming wreath is on the front porch, we’re using up a few red cocktail napkins when we have friends in for coffee and cookies, and we’re still enjoying a box of Russell Stover chocolates our son brought one holiday evening.

Unfortunately, I am a “night owl.” It all began in college when I had to stay up to finish compositions or cram for tests.
I spent my first two years of college in a very strict private school. If you came in one minute later than 11 p.m., you were grounded for two weeks.
And lights out at 11 was strictly enforced.

In spite of my age, I’ve never really felt old.
With one exception, that is. And that exception was many years ago.
I had gone to school most of my life, and taught the rest of it. I had travelled in the summers and served in many places of need.

During the holiday season, we want to do everything—and we also want to do everything perfectly.
We go to Christmas banquets and New Year’s parties. We spend lots of time with our families eating scrumptious dinners and exchanging gifts.
And in order to be sure we have the best gifts for those we love, we shop . . . and shop . . . and shop.