That’s how many days old you are if you are 80 years old. In 1992, my great-grandmother turned 80. At that time, I was a 12-year old math and numbers nerd. I also had a really corny sense of humor, as you’re about to see.
A few days ago, I got a mysterious letter in the mail. It was from my grandmother (who is still living). The aforementioned great-grandmother has passed since 1992. The letter included a Birthday Card I had written to my great-grandmother on the occasion of her 80th birthday (which my grandmother found in a box). I had completely forgotten about it. And reading it was like entering my own time capsule and meeting myself 20 years ago. By the way, I no longer say “how does turning 80 feel?” to 80-year olds anymore (just 79 and below).
What is most fascinating is that my bizarre sense of humor and fascination with numbers and useless trivia explains a lot about me today (not much has changed). This explains why I am wired to speak to kids for a living. It shows me that who we are as 12-year olds really can say a lot about who we will be in life. That’s why I think ministry to preteens is so important. They are sponges, learners, and they are forming life-lasting traits at a much higher rate than adults. So let’s love them and teach them the right things.
Here’s the letter:
