Advice to My Younger Self

I took a trip down memory lane tonight looking at old pics when Mary and Warner were just babies. That baby fine blonde hair and those sweet baby faces made me yearn to have them back even if just for a moment. Then I think about how stressed, afraid, and tired I was as a new mom. I look back and think I wish I knew then what I know now-that it will all be alright so I could have enjoyed it more, worried and cried less.

I wish I would have known that Warner was going to be speaking and reading and learning despite his hearing needs. That he would be such a jokester and a likeable kid so I could have given Mary more attention. But I think about Warner now age 5 and realize that is the age when I really remember my first memories when I was a child. And Mary is turning 9 my prime memory making time. Despite all the moves. We are here. We love Nashville. We will get to settle down and build our connections. And I can start now doing all the things I would have done then in hindsight. Enjoy it more. Speak more softly. Breathe them both in like oxygen. Keep an open mind especially that they will be who they want and need to be, not what I make them or want them to be. Trust in God's plan for their lives not mine. His is always bigger and better. I see myself 5 years ago and think wow, my skin looked so much younger! Less wrinkled! Or look how tiny I was. Even though I didn't think that then. It never was enough. Another tip I am giving myself.

It was enough, more than enough! It was great! And it is now too. Because in 5 years when I'm nearing 40 I'll be saying the same thing-wow, I looked good 5 years ago (now)! We need to appreciate our youth. Our lives then and now. We need to live in the now using the advice we would give our younger selves-enjoy it because it will zoom by, appreciate yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Invest in your spirit and your mind and body will be sure to follow. Don't do things you don't want to do. Say no when you need to WITHOUT GUILT! Do what is right for your family as often as needed and Never apologize or feel guilty for it. The last piece of advice I would give my younger self is that I can do a lot more than I think physically, mentally, and emotionally. In living my best life I find it is best to think-there is NO WRONG answer.

Whatever choices I choose to make may be different than others but it's not wrong. It's my choice and my path. Here's to living without guilt and without apologies for choosing our own lives!