These Sweet Days

I've been thinking lately about how sweet our days are. When I look back on the different seasons of life, I feel homesick for them. And yet, I remember some of those days, and how I was often longing for the next stage of life.
In college, I dreamed of graduating and going off to China; when I was overseas, I counted down the days to come home; when I was single, I longed to be married; when I lived at home, I hoped for a space of my own someday. The grass is always greener on the other side is something that I have mistaken for truth. I have bought into the lie that the next thing will be the best thing. That once this thing happens, then I will feel happy and fulfilled. Now when I reflect on all those seasons, I remember them with fondness, and I wish I had lived them all to the fullest.

This summer I've been purposefully practicing contentment. This spring I was struggling big time with being content and I was feeling so impatient for the next life stage. I felt grumpy that I couldn't have what I thought I wanted exactly when I wanted it. It was ugly and it affected my mood, my thoughts, and our marriage in negative ways.

But I know that someday I'm going to look back on these days with nostalgia, this simple season of life when it's just Paul and me in our little house that we worked hard for and saved our pennies and bought together. I'll remember

the Sunday afternoons watching a movie on the couch and falling asleep together
the evenings making dinner for two and the after supper walks through the neighborhood
dropping whatever I'm doing and running to the door to greet him after work
uninterrupted time in the car as we catch up, hold hands and drive north through the mountains
sleeping so soundly through the night
meeting up with our friends whenever and wherever we like
going to the gym together
doing everything together!
and probably a million other little things that I don't even recognize yet

These days are sure sweet. And I know the next stage will bring sweetness with challenges too, but today this is my reality and I can choose to live today to the fullest. To do this day well!