I have been pondering the stages of life we go through. I barely remember childhood to be honest, I wish I did remember more. Fortunately I have a dear friend who I have known since age three, who tells me hilarious stories from our childhood. Then there were the teen years, the 20's, 30's, and now the 40's. Life changes so much over the years. As I get older, I recognize more than ever, the importance of keeping people in my life who knew me at each of those points in time. Not just family, but friends, who went "through the wars" with me, as my husband would say. The friends who knew me in high school, in college, after college but before marriage, etc... I feel so fortunate to have people in my life who "knew me when". People who have pictures and stories from the good (and not so good) old days. Friends who were by my side during some of the hardest times in my life, as well as during the most joyous times. I have very little regret. Don't get me wrong, I did some things while growing up that I am not especially proud of. I know now, that those moments when I took crazy risks, used bad judgement, and disrespected myself, were all refining moments. God uses everything. Even when I was VERY far from him, he used those experiences to mold me into something he wanted me to be. I have a heart for young girls, because I remember so clearly what it was like to be one. I remember the insecurity, the attention seeking, the need to be accepted. I have not been blessed with daughters of my own, but I feel drawn to young women whenever I am near them (In a motherly way of course). We'll see what God has planned for me, it is not clear yet.
I am helping to prepare a baby shower for a young woman at our church. She is young, just 22. Thinking about her, and what the future may hold for her and her little family, got me to thinking about life at 22. Much has changed for me since I was 22. That was really a difficult time. I didn't realize at the time that it was difficult. I had graduated from college, was having a post college, pre-real life, super good time. I was bar tending, partying, picking up and traveling to far away places to party some more. I didn't really have much in the way of financial responsibility yet, and my parents were living in Egypt-- leaving me in charge of the house and my younger sister. It was an "out all night, sleep all day", kind of life. To be honest, I was setting a pretty poor example for my sister, who at the time was working full-time at a nursing home, and was far more responsible than I was. Looking back at that time, and even later, till about age 25, it make...
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