Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Twenty-Six

Well, another anniversary is here.  It's very hard to believe at times that we have been married for twenty-six whole years.  Shoot- when I am not in the throes of the whole Hundred and Four thing- I barely feel like I am old enough to have been married a minute.  I definitely don't feel old enough that in three months I will have a twenty-five year old "child".

In my personal journal last night I mentioned that "events" or "time markers" like today put me in the mood for doing a spider web "game".  You know, when you take one thing in your life and change the decision.  Then you follow the strands out to all of the changes that would be in place because of that one different decision.  It's a very interesting exercise.  It's also fun to re-imagine your whole life in new ways.  That said- there is one thing that I have learned through doing this time and time again.  I have no regrets.  I cannot allow myself to regret anything because to regret my decisions is to regret what came from them.  I almost feel that if I allow myself regret- I am denying the lessons that I have learned from my mistakes and am taking my blessings for granted.  

Would I do everything over again exactly as I did it before?  Probably not EXACTLY.  There are some dumb decisions that, if I were to take a different road would not completely change my life so I might change them, but even those I can laugh about now even if I won't ever share them.  And even those have left behind little blessings.

I love that, despite the mistakes we have made, despite the mistakes we still make (we are the epitome of "The more things change, the more they stay the same) -even after all of these years there are no true regrets. 

5 comments:

L."Wren" Vandever said...

Twenty-six years married is quite an accomplishment, Jules! Here's wishing you and your husband a very happy anniversary--and of course, many more.

Would I do some things differently, if I'd known when I was 21 what I know now? Yes. I'd have buckled down and finished college, for one thing. That decision alone would change my life's road considerably. But you know, like you, I don't regret going the way I did. Because of it I have a beautiful, creative, artistic daughter. I got to live in Europe for several years, rather than perhaps only experience it in a short vacation or not at all. And I wouldn't be the person I am today. I'd like to think that's a good thing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jules. They got me thinking, too. :o)

Jules0705 said...

College is usually my big jumping off point as well Wren. Had I gone the traditional route and gone to college at 18- my whole world would have been different.

I chose to get married, hubby went active duty, then we went overseas and then came Josh.

Had I done college- he would have still gone active duty and we may never have gotten married. No marriage, no overseas. No overseas duty station, no Josh. That's a terrifying thought in and of itself.

Knowing what I know now, and seeing what I have seen, there's a possibility I may NEVER have married or had a child. There is so very much that would change, and in that world- so much I would have missed by not being Jim's wife or Josh's mom.

Makes me wonder if I would have known I was missing something so huge and so terrific.

I hope you enjoyed your visit to "What-if Land" along with me. :-)

Dew said...

26 years is a real accomplishment as said by another. Not easy for a marriage to work out. Mine is coming to 26 too.

In life, we just cannot have two things at a time. God is blessing your family with Josh to keep you all going strong.

Thanks for sharing.

naturegreeneries.blogspot.com/

Dew said...

It is never easy to go to 26. Mine is same as yours.
However, life is that we just cannot have 2 things at a time.

Thanks for sharing and interesting to read.

Dew said...

26 years is a real accomplishment as said by another. Not easy for a marriage to work out. Mine is coming to 26 too.

In life, we just cannot have two things at a time. God is blessing your family with Josh to keep you all going strong.

Thanks for sharing.

naturegreeneries.blogspot.com/