How Many Lifetimes

How Many Lifetimes?

How many times in this one life have you had flashbacks
To some past era of this life? We allow our memories to travel back,
And we see images of younger years when our babies were small,
On a first day of school or that "baby's" wedding day, and we even hear a call

Of grandchildren calling "Grandma!" When you boil it all down, it's a different day,
Every day upon this earth. I find myself waking up some days
And visualizing my son waking up in his baby bed, and standing up by the rail
Explaining to mother about his breakfast needs. It never failed.

I travel back on other days to his first days of school.
It sure seems these flashbacks are of their dependant days - on us, as a rule.
Can you deny or dispute that each segment is a lifetime of its own.
And in the sunset of my life, I care for my cats, otherwise alone.

Each day is a whole new lifetime because life changes every day.
We view our years from our earliest memories up to today.
It does seem to give us some sense of continuity to hold this story together,
Some have more days on earth than others, but the longer we can be together,

The more blessed we feel. Those who believe life goes on after this
Understand in our minds about all the experiences we did miss,
But we feel secure that there'll be another "go-round" on down the road,
And another story to live, and other deeds and seeds to be sowed.

And we promise our soul, "I'll do more next time, and maybe even better,"
But we are always reminded how interlinked our lives are in every matter.
How many days in how many lives - they all summarize the substance of our soul
And the progress we have made from all the days of old.