Somehow as I have gotten older, on most days, I feel younger than I ever have. Maybe it was because during my twenties and thirties I was either pregnant or nursing babies…a lot of them. That does have a tendency to take its toll on one’s physical and mental health.

My high school friends had gone away to college, stayed out all hours of the night and had their fill of parties… meanwhile, I got married, worked full time and started a family. Back then and for the twenty years that followed, I had no time for going to concerts, parties and shenanigans in general.

Sean and I were like an old married couple, just trying to do what we thought we were “supposed” to do. Working normal 9-5 jobs, hustling a side business and reserving Saturdays for fun. “Fun” usually consisted of hosting or going to a toddler’s birthday party. But there were no late nights on Saturdays because Sunday mornings we were unlocking church doors, setting up sound equipment for the worship service, preparing Sunday school lessons or cleaning the nursery room toys. For three to four of those years, our house was the church. Hosting up to eighty people packed in our living room every Sunday.

Twenty years ago Sean played in a band, although the venue was hardly ever a smokey bar, it was usually for a church, youth group, or an Irish/Scottish festival.

Nowadays, we have to laugh at ourselves. The other day our eighteen year old daughter texted us at midnight to see if we were OK and asked what time we would be home, she was on the sofa waiting up for us. We enjoy our late nights as Sean’s music and our friends keep us out late a couple nights a week.

Though our life may look pretty different now than it did back then, we don’t complain about those distant early years. We just did things a little backwards than most people. I am grateful for those years that we built our family and put in the hard work that saw us through the rocky road that inevitably seems to hit every marriage and family. I wouldn’t trade the relationship we have with our children and each other for the world.

Life is pretty different now that three of our five children are adults. We have an ongoing growing relationship with each of them and I am so thankful that we are able to let them step out and each find their way. I think they know that we love and support them to the very end, without micromanaging their every decision. I have to trust that the years we poured in, will always be there to continue to develop their character and shape them into responsible, compassionate, human beings that bring joy to this world and those around them.

We are no longer “professional Christians” as my friend Michael Elliott likes to calls it. Though we do still possess a strong faith in God as we continue to walk out our core beliefs. It’s just, those beliefs have just become much simpler than we once made them out to be. Getting down to the basics of; “Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind and loving your neighbor as yourself.” Sometimes it can take all we got to do that last part, but I’ll leave that to an entirely separate blog post and maybe my friends that also live on 14th Street will get a laugh out of that one. 😉

I am currently enjoying a much more spontaneous life. Most of my days still begin waking up in still, dark quiet mornings. I try to do most of my writing and reading then. After an hour or two of typing on my phone from bed, I may or may not catch a little more sleep. I then enjoy a couple cups of coffee when the apartment is still relatively quiet. This is when I read, think, meditate and pray. I’m a much nicer mom and wife when I have my sacred mornings. At the same time, my evenings usually don’t end until after midnight as I really do try to squeeze every bit of life out of each day.

I hope that you take time everyday to enjoy your day. Whether you are an early bird or night owl, or if you prefer structure or spontaneity, find a way everyday to savor the moments you are gifted with and cherish those around you.