Twenty More

This is ‘The first day of my life!’ that’s what I thought as I passed the mirror. I was looking into the eyes of my younger self. I jumped in the shower, and I realized the change was more than just face and hair; it was everything.

OH GOD! My kids! Did I go back in time? No, wait, I was still in the same place the date was the same according to the radio. I dressed in a hurry, I had to check on my children who still lived at home. Once I saw they were still the same, I had to check on my daughter. Maybe this was some kind of weird dimension, or I could be dreaming. I called and she assured me that she was fine she wanted to know what was going on. I told her I woke up twenty years younger. She laughed and said she’d like to see that. I told her my hair was no longer black, it was back to its natural color and I looked younger. She told me that I was probably just having a bad morning I should have some caffeine and put my contacts in.

It took a while to find something that still fit this new younger me. I, of course, was trying to adjust, by simply following my normal routine. I put in my contacts to find that they made the world blurry and it took me some time to remember that I didn’t wear contacts or glasses twenty years ago. I went to work, everyone commented on how wonderful I looked.

Nothing had changed except me! I was in my 40’s according to my birth certificate. No one around me was changed and yet I was literally twenty years younger. My children were all three almost completely grown.

Then it hit me, I had twenty more years, and I cried. I know, that’s probably not the reaction I should have. I should be ecstatic! I had it all. Well, accept a person to share my life. I would probably watch members of my family die, as I outlived them. This was horrible! That is what sent me spiraling into that dark abyss of depression.

Then I thought this thing through. If I woke up twenty years younger maybe when I went to sleep that night I would probably wake up back to my old self. Was that really, what I wanted? Did I want to be who I was? Was I different since nothing else had changed?

Lucky for me someone threw me a rope in the form of a phone call.

”Hey, I heard the news! I think it’s wonderful.”

“OK, MOM! Did you do this? HOW?”

“You bet! I was given three wishes, and I could only use one of them for myself. I wished you were healthier like you were twenty years ago. I wished for your brother to have the house of his dreams. Then my wish… was that I never needed anything again. I called you first to see if you were happy?”

“Well, um… Thank you?”

“You’re not? Why not? I mean you have everything now or the time and means to get it. Oh and you will find the right one, I just know it, I mean I can’t be completely happy if you aren’t. That is a need of mine, that my kids be happy…”

“Okay, mom. Gish and people call me crazy.”

“So how is it? I mean, really? Do you still need your contacts? Did your hair turn back to it’s natural color? Tell me everything?”

I finally got my mother off the phone by promising I would send a picture text. You know she was right, this would work out.

Now what do I do? I guess I will just take life one day at a time and this time I will treat my body better than I did before, since I know what I have to look forward to in twenty years if I don’t. Now I had a choice to make. Either I could be depressed, or I could enjoy this and be happy. I choose happiness.

LOOK OUT WORLD HERE I COME!

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