Ten Years

I remember very clearly being in Elementary school, looking at "grown-ups" and thinking how OLD they were. I never thought of old as a bad thing; though I think the idea of "old" being bad comes from adults, not children. Children can't wait to grow up (except for the ones who go to Neverland). It's funny all the ideas we have about growing up and where you're supposed to be in your life when you reach different ages. And it's interesting the way it changes as you continue to grow up. 

I don't know if it's a human thing to do or if it's just me, but I've always looked forward to milestone ages...
5 was exciting because it took up one whole hand
8 it was exciting because I was old enough to be baptized 
10 two hands and into the double digits
12 I was a teen
14 highschool
15 drivers permit
16 drivers license
17 rated R movies
18 legally an adult 
***(wow 14-18 is a pretty exciting time in a person's life!)
21 legal drinking age
25 can rent a car (which I actually did younger than 25 but just had added costs)

(But then what? Well I'll tell you what, though this wasn't my intended place to take this blog, so I'm not going to expand, but after that people start dreading birthdays and a shame too since they're only a 4th of the way through their life). 

There are other milestones in there, too; accomplishments and goals that we look forward to. Graduating from school, getting a job, renting your first apartment, getting a promotion, getting married, starting a family, buying a house, etc. Based off of myself and conversations with others I believe that we each have our own idea of a timeline for when some of these things are supposed to happen. I don't think that we all have a timeline for all of these things, but I think each individual has an idea based off of what is most important to them and their personal goals/dreams. I always wonder how many people's lives go closely according to their personal plan. Mine pretty much never has.

If you asked me 10 years ago when I was 16 how I envisioned my life would look by the time I was 26 I know exactly what I would have said (which I partly know because I've been an avid journaler for forever). I would have said I would be married with at least a few children living in a house as a stay at home mom. I find it interesting that none of that is true aside from being married, which if you can't tell by my description, I obviously planned on getting married earlier than I did in order to have those "few" children.

The interesting thing about my vision is that I am so far from it, but I just can't imagine my life having been any other way than it's been. I think of all the experiences I've had and all the lessons I've learned. I continue to learn so much in my marriage and constantly feel grateful for the time Jason and I have together just the two of us. My sister always told me when Jason and I were engaged that we should consider waiting to have children so that we can make sure to really get to know and enjoy each other before any children came along. I thought she was crazy. We had already been together for 6 years, why did we possibly need any more time just the two of us? Ultimately I suppose it isn't like we've needed the time just the two of us, though it has certainly benefited us and I am grateful we've had it.

Now, instead of being discouraged that my life hasn't gone "according to plan", I continue looking into my future and I'm beginning to see a new plan form. It is so different from what 16 year old me saw. It is a plan full of new fresh and exciting goals. It will meet up with my old goals at some point, but for now I think about all the things that Jason and I can continue to accomplish together. I wonder a little about what I will think of my plans 10 years from now. I look forward to seeing what will come our way, what new experiences we will have, what new lessons we still get to learn and just how our lives will turn out. 

Adult life is not the way I envisioned it being through the rose-colored glasses I wore growing up. I don't spend my days doing whatever I want to do, eating whatever I want to eat, and buying whatever I want to buy. It is completely different, and though it is often much harder than I ever anticipated, it is wonderful and I wouldn't have it any other way.