Young love

Wow.

I was rooting through some older pictures, looking for one to use for a recent scrap challenge. Came across this one. Haven't seen it in awhile.

Considering that there has been a lot of talk lately, with proms and graduations going on, about high school etc.Triggers a lot of thoughts.

I remember this day and this moment distinctly. It was our first summer together. 1986. I just graduated high school. We had just met in April. We were so content. So happy to simply sit there, all day. Together like that. When I asked J. what he remembers when he looked at this picture, he said - content. happy. in love. You can see it on our faces.

It also brings back a lot of thoughts and memories. At that point in my life - sitting there with the love of my life. Man - I had life by the tail! I was heading to college. Going to make something of myself. Getting out of this one horse town, as they say. Big dreams. I can remember at graduation, feeling as if there was nothing more important, or ever would be more important as that moment right then. Oh to be so niave as to think that once again. When you are 17/18 and facing the world diploma in hand, you feel invincable. So certain that every dream you have pocketed away, will soon be yours.

How many of those dreams are a reality in my life now? Oh so few so few. Save for my career, which has never faltered or changed,(Altho my path wthin my career has) and the love of my life( we have since moved this scene onto the couch every night), pretty much everything else has changed tremendously. I was never having kids. I was going to live in the city, be a huge metropolitan gal, riding the subway and spending weekends at the theater. Athletic training for one of the Philly teams. Oh yeah, I had it all planned out.

Funny though, as each dream, faded, and was replaced by a new more vivid dream - it didn't seem to matter. Funny though, as each dream took on a reality - as in settling back here in the country, rather than the city, and deciding to have the kids, I was still niave enough to think I knew exactly how the rest of my life would pan out. After I had the kids, I was certain I knew what they would become, and how they would grow. Oh how life has such different plans for us. I have been thrown my share of lilfe's curve balls, sometimes at my own hand, sometimes not. Part of true happiness I believe is learning that new and different dreams, or "altered" dreams as I like to think of them, are not any worse. Sometimes we can't appreciate our present bliss, because we spend too much time continuing to search and strive for something else.

I am presently living a life, nearly exactly opposite the one I planned for myself, all those years ago - I am happily married, with two kids, working with the elderly, in the country - digging gardens and weeding flower beds, and doing the "home for my kids to greet them at the door every night" thing, and I couldn't be happier. Interesting.

I will honestly say though, finally in my late thirties, for the first time in my life, I am not totally sure at all what the next ten years holds for me. The last ten have certainly been vastly different that I would have ever thought - but I can honestly tell say, my thirties have been some of the happiest years of my life. I have no idea what my 40's hold, but I can say - bring it on.

Yes, dreams change.

Thank goodness they do.

PS - just a note - that box sitting against the tree, is a lawn dart box...like I was talking about in my ladderball entry. Funny huh?