Timelines

I’ve officially been back to school for about four weeks. although it feels likes it’s been double that. but i’m starting to settle in and get back to a routine. anyway, i’ve been thinking a lot this week about the idea of timelines in our lives. there’s a certain social pressure to have things checked off the to do list by certain points in your life. and I think this view can cause a lot of damage in our lives. because the truth is, there is no correct timeline. there’s no perfect model that makes your life better or worse.

when I was younger, I was terrified of swimming. all the other kids would hang out in the deep end and I was content on the steps. they felt nice and safe. the deep water terrified me. and while my mom definitely questioned my fear, she never made me do something I wasn’t ready for. and then one day I decided, I wasn’t as scared any more. and then I discovered that I could play mermaids and jump off the diving board and never looked back. I swam way later than most kids, and that’s ok. it wasn’t a race that made me better or worse than anyone else. we don’t have to do things when everyone tells us that we should.

trying new things at different times than everyone else has followed me for most of my life. I was terrified of roller coasters until one day in fifth grade when I decided I wanted to ride one and now I love them. I didn’t ride a bike with out training wheels until I was in third grade and then decided it was one of my favorite activities. and I didn’t drive a car until I was 20. and I regret none of those decisions. there’s nothing wrong with pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. actually, I think it’s really important you do. but there is a difference between challenging yourself and doing something before you are ready.

people will question why you got married so young or so old. they question why you waited so long to have kids or why you had them only a few months into marriage. they question why you never got married or have no kids. why your single or in a long term relationship. they question whether your job is respectable enough and then why you don’t work at all. your life does not fit into a perfect timeline. and that’s the beauty of it. we get to make our own. and all of those timeline decisions we make aren’t perfect. because no one’s is. but it’s yours for the choosing.

it is so easy to fall into the trap of believing we are behind in life. but how could you be behind in your own life? God has crafted a perfect path for you. It won’t look like anyones else’s because it’s not supposed to. so I hope you do some things that scare you a little. and I hope you know that it’s ok to do things when you are ready. and being ready doesn’t always feel like a magic switch that suddenly takes away uneasiness. but it’s a decision that you make when you feel like you’re ready to take on that uneasiness with the decision to try. you are not weird or wrong for doing things differently. you are worthy and loved and capable. here’s to writing our own timelines.

All the love always, Annie