Alan Jackson – Remember When (Official Music Video) – YouTube
“Remember When” by Alan Jackson
Remember when I was young and so were you
And time stood still and love was all we knew
You were the first, so was I
We made love and then you cried
Remember when
Remember when we vowed the vows and walked the walk
Gave our hearts, made the start, it was hard
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
Remember when
Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other’s hearts
Remember when
Remember when the sound of little feet
Was the music we danced to week to week
Brought back the love, we found trust
Vowed we’d never give it up
Remember when
Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookin’ back, it’s just a steppin’ stone
To where we are, where we’ve been
Said we’d do it all again
Remember when
Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won’t be sad, we’ll be glad
For all the life we’ve had
And we’ll remember when
Remember when
Remember when
Dear God, this is a great song on its own, but the video really adds some depth to it. I looked it up, and Alan Jackson wrote the song himself. It’s all quite beautiful. In fact, I used it in the 50th wedding anniversary video I made for my parents.
So it’s Saturday afternoon, I I felt like spending some more time with you, but I needed a prompt. What to talk about? Well, I think one of the more interesting things about life at any age is its unpredictability. We simply have no idea what will happen from one moment to the next in a world that tracks in linear time. I have a neighbor down the street who is in his mid-80s and struggling with health issues. He was getting weaker and weaker. His wife was probably about 10 years younger than him and was very vibrant. She was able to care for him. It was a late-in-life marriage for both of them, so there are step children on both sides. I think his children were grateful she could be there to care for their dad since none of them live in our small town. Then something surprising happened. She had a series of falls, with the last one resulting in her hitting her head and dying. From the first fall until her death, it was about a month. None of us would have guessed she would go first. But now he’s alone and he and his children are trying to figure out his path forward without her as his caregiver. Interestingly, he seems to be rising to the occasion and getting a little stronger. He’s a very responsible man who had ceded some of the work of living to her. Now he has to step up and he is.
I look back on who my wife and I were when we met at 18/19 respectively. We didn’t know much. To our credit, I think we knew there was a lot we didn’t know, but we had no idea how much we didn’t know. 32 years later, there’s still so much we don’t know. But the other thing I’ve learned over the years is that you often keep me on a need-to-know basis, and I very rarely need to know.
But we would never have guessed where we would end up professionally, as parents, as members in our community, as a couple, or even as Christians. We had no idea where life would lead.
So some highlights from the song:
We lived and learned, life threw curves
There was joy, there was hurt
I’m surprised how many times I’ve hurt my wife and others through the years. And I’m surprised how many times I’ve been hurt by her and others. There was a lot of joy too, but the hurt somehow is what lingers longer. Why is that?
Remember when old ones died and new were born
And life was changed, disassembled, rearranged
We came together, fell apart
And broke each other’s hearts
You don’t get married thinking about relatives dying and what that will look like–especially when you get married young. The first death we experienced was the miscarriage of our little girl. I still look forward to meeting Sandra someday. I wonder what she’s thought as she’s watched us go through life. Has she been cheering us on? Has she been praying for us as we experienced other losses and trials? Yes, my wife and I have broken each other’s hearts at times. And we’ve had our hearts broken by others. I am incredibly grateful to still have her as my wife. Thank you for her.
Remember when thirty seemed so old
Now lookin’ back, it’s just a steppin’ stone
To where we are, where we’ve been
Said we’d do it all again
A couple of things here. First, I was 35 when I got the job I have now. That was over 15 years ago. I felt older than I now know I was. Even now, I am sure I feel older than I am, but the nice thing about pursuing you in discipleship is that I feel like I am constantly reminded how small I am in the grand scheme of things. And you aren’t calling me to figure everything out. You are just asking me to follow you moment to moment, listening for your leading and being willing to obey your voice regardless of what it will cost me in my selfishness or insecurity.
Second, I’m not saying I’d want to do it all again, but there are very few things I regret. It’s been hard (not that I’m complaining because plenty of people have had harder lives than I’ve had–in fact, I’m probably a 1-percenter when it comes to how easy my life has been compared to the other 6 billion people on this planet. I’m just saying that it’s kind of like high school. I enjoyed high school, but I wouldn’t want to do it again. But there are certainly some moments I wouldn’t mind reliving–especially now. I have some sweet, sweet memories of times that I do, indeed, miss.
Remember when we said when we turned gray
When the children grow up and move away
We won’t be sad, we’ll be glad
For all the life we’ve had
And we’ll remember when
Here’s where I’m a 1-percenter: I am incredibly fortunate to be married to a woman whom I enjoy after over 30 years of knowing her. I’m fortunate that letting the children move away didn’t leave my life empty and void of meaning. I’m very fortunate to be able to sit here, even just being middle-aged, and be grateful for the life I’ve had.
Father, thank you.
In Jesus’s name I pray,
Amen
Emails to God 