Where you find yourself in 10 years...
When you graduate high school, college there is always that
question..."Where do you see yourself in 10 years?" This question was
one I hadn't really thought of until I watched a recent DVRed episode of CBS's
"How I Met Your Mother." In this particular episode Barney, Marshall,
and Ted make a pack dating back to college in which every 3 years they will
watch the Star Wars Trilogy together. They begin in their college dorm room in
2000, making predictions of what their lives will be like in 3 yrs! Each year
they come to the realization that life has moved forward but they aren’t at all
where they planned to be! Marshall expected to be a lawyer with a huge family,
Ted a famous architect, and Barney is just Barney! As the years go by the
pattern continues and life happens the ups and the downs! The realization comes
at the end (2012) that Barney is ready to stop dating random women and settle
down with one, Marshall is happy with direction of his life and Ted well for
his story we jump 3 yrs into the future to see him holding his baby girl!
This all had me in tears! As my husband looked at me oddly
for crying through a half-hour sitcom, I blubbered out "it reminds me of
us.." I remember the New Years Eve 1999 sitting on the floor of my first
apartment with my boyfriend (my husband)! Dreaming of what the year 2000 would
bring or if there would even be a year with Y2K! I had dreams of graduation; I
was excited to live on my own...miss independent! But, over the next three
years I got married, had my first son, and was now a full time mom, student,
and a nanny for a family of 8! Nope far
from independent, not at all like I planned.
Now facing 2003, I was excited to FINALLY graduate college!
I did do that (with honors and a 16 month old), but also moved to Southern Illinois
, got pregnant, moved again (back to Michigan), and made the choice to be a
stay at home mom for the next decade at least! Yes, these three years were ones
of critical choices in the direction of my adult years. I had departed from my
goals of independence and career; and had chosen a new path filled with play
dates and dress up.
By the time 2006 rolled around I had two toddlers. We were
knee deep in parenting! Our lives were kids; kids ruled everything! I never
thought things would change! But, these three years my kids went to school! My
babies became school aged, I got a part time job, and my husband changed career
paths. We even took on a foreign exchange student, something that completely
changed us! Nothing I had planned nothing I had dreamed of, but life!
These last three years were more planning for the future
than any other years in my life! These were the years we had to grow up establishing
401k plans, college saving plans, make a will! These were also the years in
which we started to realize that life is short; we have marked millstones 10
years of marriage, 15 together, Ethan passing half his childhood, and our baby
losing teeth! Some of these events have been foundations shaping the kind of
people we are...changing us yet again! These were the years of crazy life
choices,(hello…moving to German)! These last 12 years have passed in the blink
of an eye! I have gone from a poor college student to a mother of two. I have
gone from dreaming of independence to loving deep relationships. I have grown!
Yes, we never know what truths, adventures, stories our
lives will tell! So, When ask where do you see yourself in 3 years, 5 years, or
10 years...I don’t know because all I truly know is where and who I am now! It’s
fun to think ahead, but it’s way better to live it J
I agree... I used to be a planner though... had things the way I expected them to be... and then - OUR move to Germany! My life was flipped upside-down and I realized I would no longer plan things in stone... I still plan, but more like writing on a chalk board - it can easily be erased and changed. Here's to life! The adventure! The unknown! Here's to growing! Changing! And not letting moss settle below our feet!
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