Tonight, I tried to help you find rest because it was bedtime. You didn’t want to sleep. Perhaps, you wanted more time to talk, you wanted more back tickles from me & Mommy, or you wanted a goodnight kiss from Daddy? Only you really know.
But, your Aunt La La looked at your bedside table and saw something – you have a clock. It has an alarm.
In the blink of an eye, you will be an 18-year old. You will be in college, waking yourself up with an alarm clock. Maybe you went to a big party the night before and you’re thinking, “nobody will notice if I skip.” They will. Wake up. Go to class. Even when it’s hard.
You will be 28 years old. An alarm clock will encourage you to pull your body out of bed every day. Do it. Even if you are pulling your body out of bed for something you are not sure about. Pull your body out of bed until you are 100% certain it’s not for you. Keep looking and keep waking up early…grab that time to figure out what you want to do. It’s quiet in those early hours.
You will be 38 years old. An alarm clock will sound and you will already be awake because there will probably be a baby, dog, or spouse that woke you up. That alarm clock will be the “third” wake up. Wake up. It’s not a joke. This is is your life. Remember, if you are not happy now, you will be someday because these years are difficult for almost everyone. Call me from the car. I’ll make you laugh and remind you about why you are an amazing dude.
You will be 48 years old. An alarm clock will be an annoyance because you want to set it, but you’ve not really needed an alarm clock since your first kid was born. (Hell, you never needed an alarm clock, Wyatt Walter. You were always awake by 7:15 at the latest.) Stretch your legs, which might creak from time to time, and hit the ground. It could always be worse – you could have nothing to wake up for. Remember that.
You will be 58 years old. I doubt they will have alarm clocks.
The time will fly by and I didn’t need an alarm clock to remind me. So, if you need me to look for an overdue library book, a monster under your bed, more minutes to give you back tickles? You got it. We are not on a clock…it doesn’t matter how old you are. I’ll always look for the book, monster, or your back. I’m your Aunt La La.
The World of Before You 