Seven years ago if someone would have told me that I would be married with two small children and have a completely different view of life, I would have laughed hysterically and punched them in the face. Seriously. Simply because the idea at the time would have seemed ludicrous and offensive. Seven years ago my life was as far from marriage and the white picket fence as you could get. I lived a comfortable life with my teenage son, I was an officer in the Army National Guard Medical Core, and worked as a full time paid firefighter in a large metropolitan city. Needless to say I never did things the conventional way. Although my mother always tells me I am, I wasn't and am not what I would consider a feminist. I simple thought suburban motherhood was boring, stale, cookie cutter if you will. I enjoyed the challenge of the road less traveled. I thought if I steered clear of anything that smacked of popular culture, my life would be richer, fuller, more vibrant and memorable. At the time I had a steady fella. Fifteen years steady. He seemed as complaisant regarding marriage as I did. Little did I know a two week backpacking trip circumnavigating Mount Rainier would turn into marriage, two more children, two career changes, and a view of life polar opposite of where I once stood.
Gavin (20), Henry (3), Eleanor (1)
So my message to my children is simple, make a plan and plan on changing it...often. Educate yourself so you can make good choices but have enough faith in yourself to take a few risks. And stop. Everyday stop and inhale life. Because one minute your sitting at the seat of a house fire and the next your running your own mock United Nations settling arguments between two young children. So for you, my happy little peas a journal of our lives- a record I can look back on to help me remember bumps and bruises, smiles and tears, and selfishly steal small moments in time to reminisce.
