Look Around

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.” - Feris Bueller

A couple of posts have caught my eye recently - this quote was in one by Sam at Life is Like A Box of Chocolates. There are often milestones we strive for, things we hope to achieve and places we want to get to. When I was at secondary school I couldn't wait to leave and go to university. But looking back I wonder if I fully appreciated the time I had there with those friends. In my third year of university I was looking forward (understandably) to getting married and living with T. Looking back, although tried to enjoy the time I had living with the girls, I probably didn't always appreciate it.

Recently I decided to do the graduate teacher programme. I wanted to start as soon as possible, to get on with it. It's pretty clear now that I won't be able to start in January, I'll have to wait until September 2010. When I stop and think this is probably better for me. I'll have to learn to be a bit more patient, sure. But I will have time to find the right school and the right mentor for me. I will also have time to do more work at Besom which I love.

At the 20-something stage of life, there are always milestones we long to reach - whether it is in our career (new job, new qualification, new promotion) or personal life (marriage, buying a home, having babies). Sometimes we forget that life isn't just the huge milestones, it's the little bits in between as well. I want to try to appreciate how life is now, and be happy with it. Being happy with how things are rather than focusing on how you want them to be is such a skill. Kayla Aimee wrote recently about this - that sometimes, you have to choose to be happy.

So I'm working on being patient. On appreciating having to wait. On thanking God for the life I have right now. I don't want to look back on this time, which actually is pretty perfect, and wish I'd appreciated it more. I'm going to trust that a career, a house of our own and children will come when we're ready, and when God is ready. And I'm going to appreciate the journey.