17th Anniversary of my 29th Birthday

I had hoped to post profound thoughts rich in wisdom from one so "seasoned" in years. Instead, I offer these ramblings from a wandering mind:

I actually remember my 29th birthday--weird, huh? It was less than a week after my second laparoscopy (to treat endometriosis) in less than three years. My dear husband made a delicious brunch and invited another couple to enjoy it with us. He topped it off with a wonderful made-from-scratch (by him!) mocha cake. Still, my heart was uneasy because I was still childless and getting older by the minute.

Yesterday I took our oldest daughter to enroll for some concurrent college courses this summer. If that goes well, she'll continue to take general requirement courses until she graduates from high school in 2009. It's a great way to get a "jump start" on her undergraduate work! I mention that mostly because it just feels weird to be the mother of a college student--I don't feel like or think like I'm old enough!

Also yesterday, my oldest daughter and I were once again asked by a stranger if we were sisters!!! Now before you start thinking how "young" I must look, you've got to understand that our soon-to-be 17 yr. old could pretty easily pass for early 20's--seriously. So, when we get those comments, it's a great compliment to us both--at least for now!

Several months ago when I first began blogging I'd planned to post my thoughts on "gaining a Godly perspective on aging". I haven't made that post cause I don't think I'm any closer to gaining that perspective than I was before! I don't dread aging, but I just don't seem to know what to do with myself.

Prior to becoming a parent a little over four years ago, people would often think I was younger than I actually was. I attribute that to the fact that I loved to cut-up and was almost always functioning in "hyper-speed" (physically and verbally) no matter what I was doing. I think my age and behavior started to catch up with each other soon after I became a parent!

I'm not normally an overly introspective sort of person--especially regarding age--but I find myself more and more trying to chart my course for, as Elyse Fitzpatrick puts it, the "afternoon of life". Last fall DH and I attended the annual NANC (see sidebar) conference with several other elders and wives. One of the workshops I chose to attend was Elyse Fitzpatrick's "Counseling Women in the Afternoon of Life". I joked that I wasn't going for my personal benefit, but that of future counselees, and how "mid-life/afternoon" was really somewhere in your 50's. One of the ladies with me, who is only a few years older, was quick to point out that she's always considered "mid-life" to begin at 40! The nerve of her! :-)

Anyway, I think that me not becoming a parent until I was 41, and because our children were older from the very beginning, I'm getting this "aging" thing in a rather large and quick dose! So, don't expect any grand words of wisdom from me on aging--apparently I'm still in denial!