Phases of life

I am very blessed to be constantly surrounded by people in all different phases of their lives.  This is due in part to being an adult college student, my husband working closely with people at the peak of their careers and also in part to friends of ours taking their lives at a different pace than we have.

I feel like this is an invaluable opportunity for my husband and I. While many of us, just by default, are surrounded with individuals of similar age and conviction whether it be due to religious groups, employment status, education, our children's playmates, etc; we as people tend to be attracted to people of our similar age group and interests.

Currently, we have several friends expecting their first children, some their third of fourth, some hoping they will conceive at all, others having sent children off to the military or college in recent months, some waiting to become engaged to marry or those still seeking a partner in life. While some of them come to us for guidance and advice, we also look to the ones who have 'been there' to help us shape our next steps as a family and in our careers.

Many of our friends are in similar places in life to us, by virtue of having met them through our children, but there is even much variance among that group of friends. Some have chosen to stay home with their babies and are now returning to the work force, others are just deciding to stay home now and others (like me) still are not sure what path their lives may take. Some are SAH moms, some are SAH dads, some never stopped working.

I feel very fortunate to count so many different types of people among our friends. It gives so much dimension to us as boring, career-driven individuals. It helps to reign us back in when we forget that family is first, and gives us that extra push we need to take a leap of faith and try something new.

If you are reading this and you know me, you have probably inspired this entry in some way even if very small. If I ever ask you what it is like to be in your situation, please do not be offended. I am genuinely interested and just want to consider every angle. I never want to have blinders on and forget that every person's journey is their own and how they arrived there is multi-faceted. Each phase of life is crucial and shapes what is to come. Thank you for inspiring my journey!