Facing the Middle Ages

It's official - in one year I'll be "middle aged". Adam and I had a quiet lunch together today (thanks to Julia for watching Jacob - we haven't gone out for lunch together since I don't know when) to celebrate my 39th birthday. During our time together, we thought back, trying to remember what we were doing 20 years ago...

1) Adam and I had just gotten back together after spending our first 4 months at BYU dating other people. Adam had dated one girl pretty seriously, and so to make things up to me, he enrolled in my ballroom dance class. Twice a week we danced together - and that eventually mended hurt feelings.

2) My first nephew had just been born. I was the envy of all of the other girls in my dorm each time my sister brought him over for me to babysit.

3) Adam had just received his mission call to Brazil and I was in a frenzy trying to figure out how I could possibly live without him for 2 long years.

4) I, luckily and thankfully, had great roommates at Heritage Halls and was loving my first year at BYU. During our 2nd semester, four of us moved all of our beds into one room, making the room wall-to-wall beds, and we would fall asleep each night listening to Air Supply. We then made the empty bedroom into a TV room and it became a popular Friday night hangout spot.

5) I had my life clearly mapped out: I was going to graduate in education, wait for Adam to get home from his mission, work while I put him through school and have our first baby about the time he was to graduate.

Thinking back makes it seem like it was not all so long ago. But now I see how niave I was about the world and things. It's nice to know I am many years older and wiser too, and that makes me feel more confident in facing my "middle-ages." I am grateful I have someone so great to face them with. I look forward to the next time we can look back 20 years to see how far we've come, then turn together again and face our golden years.

At least that's how I hope it turns out. My life certainly has an opinion of it's own and I seem to have little say in the matter. But what I have learned is that if you surround yourself with great people and fill your mind and heart with the gospel, then no matter what comes, you will enjoy the journey.