Do you ever find yourself going about your day, performing some perfectly normal task, when all of a sudden, you realize you're [insert your age here]?
I had that moment the other day. I was in the kitchen in the evening, and I was cleaning up and thinking about a nice dark smoky blue color for our kitchen when we re-do it soon. All of a sudden, I realized "I have a kitchen", which was quickly followed up with the thought "I have a house". I have a house. Kevin and I have a house that we own, and we live in it, and it's ours. Whaaaaat?
I have a house. And I'm married to an awesome guy. He's literally the smartest person I know, besides Sheldon Cooper (and let's face it, Sheldon is fictional, and also irritating). We have a dog who is really adorable, and has mostly stopped chewing stuff up. How did all this happen? Also I can drive. I vividly remember being so young, and thinking that driving seemed like this awesome responsibility, and it just seemed so complicated and stressful. I drive now, and there are days when I drive the whole way home on mental-autopilot, as if it's a habit like brushing my hair or folding laundry - something that you do out of muscle memory. I can drive. When did this happen?
I have a 401K. I always wrinkle my nose a little when I say that. Weird. Having a 401K feels decidedly grown-up, but not in a fun way.
There are perks to being grown up, though. I can rock glitter nail polish with grown-up outfits. Pretty high heels are super fun. Being at the grocery store and just having the realization that you could just fill your cart with Pilsbury Cinnamon Buns, SmartFood popcorn, and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese if you wanted to. You don't, but the knowledge that you could is pretty fun if you think about it. Realizing that people telling you what to do has been replaced with people giving you advice, which you can decide whether or not to take. Bourbon is a fun grown-up thing, too, especially if it's splashed into ginger ale. Did you run out of ginger ale to go with your bourbon? That's a big girl problem.
I think all of this getting older just blows my mind because in a lot of ways, I still feel like the 9-year-old version of myself. Still 9, still really into Barbie dolls and Disney movies, dreaming of someday owning a horse, and reading Anne of Green Gables and Little Women over and over and over again.
Some things don't change. I still love feeling cozy, and hanging around the house with pajamas and fluffy socks on. I still love a good cup of tea with honey in it. I still daydream sometimes that I'll have a horse someday (or at least ride a horse someday, preferably one that isn't super-pregnant and trying to bite me while I ride it). I still read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women at least once a year. I think I might like Disney movies more now than when I was 9.
Still, though, it's a good life, it just goes by so dang quickly! I really really need to slow down a little and enjoy it more, because before we know it, we'll be older, and maybe have a little one, and life will go by faster and faster and then I'll be 60. I'm sure more things will happen between the age of 27 and 60, but given how fast life has been flying by lately, I wouldn't be surprised if it just feels like I blink, and I'm there, scooting along in a walker and grumbling about those kids on my lawn with their new-fangled contraptions and how everything was simpler back in my day when we had Hulu and Steve Jobs was still alive.
Here's to slowing down a little (or a lot) and enjoying the things in life that really matter.
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