Presidents' Day

For those of you with the day off this Presidents’ Day, I hope you’re enjoying a three-day weekend with family and friends. For those who are working, may this be a productive beginning to your week.

If time permits and interest sways, make time to attend one or more of the following events; a tour of the new Manatee Technical Institute organized by the Suncoast Technology Forum, a Podcasting Summit brought to you by the Suncoast Internet Marketing Masterminds, and the AdFed Suncoast Underground ADDY Awards.

On a personal note, we have several family birthdays coming up this month. The 19th will mark my brother’s 44th birthday. Sometimes it’s hard to believe it’s been almost five years since he passed away. And other times it seems like a long time ago.

Perhaps it’s a symptom of “middle age” but there are times, now that I’m in my forties, when I feel like I’m vacillating between perspectives. I still have vague yet strong recollections growing up, but I also have a growing sense of curmudgeon-like tendencies. Part of me still wants to crank up the volume, and part of me wants to yell, “Turn it down!”

Maybe my change in perspective comes from the recent passing of my Mother-in-Law. Suzan Saxon died on January 13, 2014, just two days after her 74th birthday. She went into the hospital a few weeks earlier for a mastectomy after discovering a lump on her breast. There were several complications, and after a few ups and downs she was unable to recover.

It’s been hard for my wife and her sisters, but more so for their father. David didn’t expect to outlive his wife, and now he’s heartbroken after nearly 49 years of marriage. Suzan died too soon, and it’s a reminder that life is short.

Speaking of short. My little Mia will turn seven years old this Friday. I remember cradling her in my arms when she was born. Now she’s four feet tall and desperate to lose her second tooth.

Parents are getting older. Kids are growing up. I suppose it’s all just another turn of the wheel. The circle of life and all that, right?

Until next week,

Matthew Anderson, President
Milestone Marketing Associates, Inc.