A friend of mine had a birthday gathering today. We call it a gathering at our age. When we was younger and less responsible it was called a party. And a party it was back in those days. Copious amounts of contraband, alcohol, and possibly even guests hired at truck stops.
We've survived all that and now have gatherings instead. Children play on trampolines, we talk about how good our children behave, we eat steaks and there isn't anything illegal to be found anywhere.
Looking back on it, it's a miracle. We are all alive and well? We realized how life has transformed itself from one based on the moment to one based on long-term value. We realized how lucky we are that so many of us are still able to come together and still enjoy the company of each other.(Read: not dead) We survived ourselves. And amazingly, we are now all productive models of society. How did that happen? I don't know, but thank God it did. We have matured.
There is nothing better than standing back in middle age and being in the company of all of your old "running" buddies and seeing that everyone is ok, has their feet on the ground, and is doing good. It truly is a miracle. Our parents must have prayed really really hard and someone listened.