I’m in that strange stage of life where all the people I grew up with are settling into jobs and families and lives of their own. All of the beloved traditions that lit up our childhood and always magically came around every year now require thought, time and planning. I can still recall a time, not so long ago, when I wouldn’t have dreamed of missing Christmas in Colorado with my big sister and my parents and yet, for two years in a row now, that Colorado Christmas has been reduced to phone calls. 

Of course, there was always a very good reason. With marriage and adulthood comes an ever more complicated schedule and life happens. Jobs change, people move, other family members need help, there are bills to contend with and increasingly expensive plane tickets. There are always extenuating circumstances for not following through with even the best laid plans. And adulthood certainly isn’t all scheduling difficulties. There are weddings and baby showers to attend and the joy of welcoming new members into the family. I’m thrilled to have a new niece and nephew to love and spoil. I am godmother to one of them and I can’t wait. 

I can see all sorts of different futures, all wonderful and perfect and yet horribly imperfect at the same time. Each and every one of them is full of love and possibilities but none of them look quite like the glorious childhood that I had. I’m still young enough to remember with total clarity all of the reasons why I loved growing up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and why, back then, I passionately promised to raise my own kids in a similar fashion. However, I’m also now old enough to realize that probably won’t happen, at least not quite like I would have pictured it. 

I suppose everyone finds themselves caught in a similar struggle at some point. We can’t know the future after all and so it’s impossible to truly know what will ultimately be best for the ones we love. But as every seasoned parent in my life assures me, you figure it out. With God’s help all things are possible and life has a funny way of working out in the end. Of course there will be difficult decisions and hard times but so long as we do our best with what He gave us and are always turning toward Him in all things life will go on and bring with it unnumbered blessings.