Celebrating Milestones
A few weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary. It was hard to believe that 16 years have passed since we said “I do”, and that in a few years, I’ll have known my husband for as long as I didn’t know him (we met when we were both 20).
Pretty much all I can think of when I see this picture of us is how young we look:
As we celebrated our anniversary, I was reminded of a friend of mine who always takes notice of milestones. She’s really good at noticing them, and not just the birthday and anniversary kind – she’ll point out things I wouldn’t have noticed, like how I’ve grown as a mom or a new realization I’ve had about myself.
I appreciate her noticing things like that, because it’s easy to skip over them if you’re not paying attention. It helps me to say, “Yes, I am growing and changing” when sometimes I feel like I’m stuck in one place.
One of my son’s last projects this school year was a book report, and he worked on it for several weeks before he was satisfied with it. When finished, he proudly read it aloud to our family and one of my first thoughts was, “He couldn’t have written a report like that at the beginning of the year”. It’s neat to see how far students come from autumn to spring.
Heading into summer, it’s nice to look back on the year and think of where we’ve been. You might have a milestone of your own to celebrate – a college degree or Montessori certification, or the successful completion of your first year of teaching at a school or homeschooling (or your 20th!)
Whatever it is, take a minute to think about where you’ve been and how far you’ve come. Chances are you will be pleasantly surprised when you compare the current you with the you of the past.
So true!
Thanks for sharing!
Jody
Thank you, Jody! Sometimes reflecting on the past makes me feel old…but I do like seeing the progress I’ve made
What a lovely post – thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. And happy anniversary, too – 16 years is definitely something to celebrate!
Thanks, Mari-Ann! I appreciate your comment. My grandparents were married for 77 years before my grandfather passed away, so that gives us something to shoot for!
Congratulations on your anniversary! Thanks for reminding us to apprecitate the little things in life. Teaching is one of the few professions that alway allow daily reflection and self renewal.
Hi, Patrice! It can be so easy to forget to stop and smell the roses. You’re right, teaching gives us constant feedback as to our personal growth – if we don’t notice milestones, children have a way of pointing them out to us.
Thanks for stopping by!
Oh, how young and gorgeous you both look! You had no clue about marriage and career, but you were very much in love and committed to each other, as you have been for 16 years. I have watched you grow into mature adults, bravely walking through your trials, and learning how to trust God in so many ways. I couldn’t be more proud of you both! Congratulations on this successful milestone! Much love, Mom
Hi, mom! I always like seeing you here
Thanks for all your love and support over the years – it’s definitely been a big part of why we’ve made it so far.
Lori, Congratulations to you and Bruce on your anniversary!!! I think you’ve inherited your mom’s genes because I think you still look a lot like you did then! You really haven’t changed much on the outside–as pretty as ever! We just celebrated our 17th anniversary a few weeks ago. There was much to reflect on, and much to look forward to, as we looked at what God has done, and is doing, in our lives. In our collective decades and a half plus, we can rejoice over His faithfulness in getting us through many trials. WOOHOO!!!!!
Andrea
Thanks, Andrea! I like to think that I take after my mom in many ways