When you
were 16, what did you think your life would look like? Does it look like that?
Is that a good thing?
When I
turned 16, the only thing on my mind was getting a car! Unfortunately, I was so
spoiled, that’s the only thing I asked my parents for even though they told me
they were NOT getting me a car. So, on
my 16th birthday, I didn’t get anything from my parents. I don’t remember having a party or birthday
celebration, although I’m sure we did something…only because I was so focused
on that car, which I suppose meant freedom for me. Pretty sad, huh, but I’m so glad my parents
did not give in to my teenage “sweet sixteen” tantrum. J
As far as
what I thought my life would look like, I’m not so sure I thought that much
ahead at that time in my life. Like any
young lady in the Southern United States in the late 80’s/early 90’s, I had
plans to go to college (which I did), and somewhere in the back of my mind, I
figured I’d get married and have kids some day (which I also did), but I
certainly had NO IDEA the creative and often quite painful path I would take to
get there! I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “God works in mysterious ways.”
Well, I’m not sure if I would use the word mysterious, but he does use EVERY experience
to bring about His purpose for our life, and it’s definitely NOT the way any of
us could ever imagine it would turn out.
Is this a
good thing? YES! I would not be who I am today or where I am or married to who
I’m married to, etc…if it had not been for all the good and bad things God took
me through to get me where I am today.
I’m more content and happy today than ever, and that’s because I’ve been
through the fire, gained proper perspective, and come out better and wiser on
the other side.
In addition
to the things I expected in my life (college, marriage, and kids), here’s a few
things that happened which I did not expect:
1. Traveling
and living in Spain for 3 months in college and falling in love with seeing the
world and learning about other cultures and ways of life.
2. Living on
a small, isolated atoll in the Marshall Islands for 17 years and leading 4-H
Clubs with the Marshallese, including one club that produced a children’s book
written in Marshallese and English and created/illustrated by a 5th
grade class of public school children. (AWESOME EXPERIENCE!!)
3. Writing
and illustrating with my OWN children 2 published children’s books and then
writing a children’s book that a extremely talented batik artist would WANT to
illustrate and having that book published as well.
4. Getting a
divorce after 10 years of marriage and 2 kids and how hard it was to go through
it on that small, isolated atoll where everyone knows your business all the
time.
5. Losing
people who I thought would be lifelong friends to that divorce and how much
that would hurt and still does...
6. Making
new friends and a new life with the LOVE of my life on the same atoll before
leaving to move back to the states (I’m so very blessed and lucky!)
7. Going on
a Yoga retreat to Bali, Indonesia! Need I say more about that-FAVORITE TRIP
EVER!! Well, next to the engagement trip to Vancouver, Canada where I got to
see from first professional hockey game on my birthday!!
8. My
children being raised in separate homes starting at the ages of 9 and 11. Not
even a thought in my mind AFTER the divorce…not until a few months before it
happened was I able to grasp that idea. Also could never have guessed that it
might actually be best for each of them due to the differences in their
personalities, interests, etc…God does know best, right!
9. My
parents getting back together after being married for 23 years, then divorced
for almost that same amount of time and me being able to visit them together in
the same household again in their later years.
10. Falling in love with the Northwest and
actually living in the shadow of Mt. Rainier today, so magnificent!
These are all
events that profoundly affected me in one way or another and shaped who I am
today, and I feel so strong now, knowing that I could go through tough times,
take off to new adventures in places I’ve never been before, and deal with the
past in a new way and find the good in it all.
That means I can handle whatever the future sends my way…not going to
say it won’t be hard, but whatever the future holds (as I don’t even presume to
know anymore what my life will be life 20 more years from now), I know that I
will be able to look back on it and say it was good because all of life (the challenges
and the triumphs) are what make us who we are.
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