It’s been a decade. The last time I wrote a post here was February 2016. It was never my goal to stop writing a blog, but since my goal stopped being to write a blog, here we are. Or, here I am, at least. It’s a little presumptuous to assume there is a “we” to talk about, considering my 10 year hiatus.
So why write here again? There are numerous reasons, but a couple of months ago, I turned 45. That’s not considered a milestone birthday, but to me, it feels like a milestone. I’m solidly middle-aged now. 45 is young when you’re 60, or 73, or 97. But 45 is still a good dose of life, and on my morning birthday walk, as I filled healthy lungs and felt my feet move steadily beneath me, I expressed gratitude to God, who has given me so many blessings.
Something about the day made me think, I need to start writing again. Then, upon checking this blog a while later, I saw my last entry was from 2016. It seemed fitting to pick up the proverbial pen again in 2026.
Now, it’s not as if I haven’t written anything in the last approximately 3600 days, but this decade has seen my life change more than any I’ve lived, except perhaps my teen years. Practicing writing* has taken a back seat to other endeavours.
While my writing has experienced a definitive drought, my life otherwise has been rich and full, so very full. I went from being a single career woman on a mission trip in 2016 to a married homemaker and mother of two in 2026. The rocket ship portion of the decade was the 3.5 years from first date to married with two kids (January 2018-July 2021).
My single-speech-language pathologist-could-barely-cook-eggs self would hardly recognize my hunter-wife-sourdough-seller-homeschooler-rambunctious-boys-referee self that I am today.
One of the most important lessons I learned in this decade of dramatic change was that I didn’t lose myself or find myself in all the iterations of life I’ve experienced: singleness, career, marriage, babies, leaving my career. I was “me” through them all, because my life is anchored in Jesus Christ, who never changes. My identity as a child of God was the same through each twist and turn. Lest you think I slid into every new phase of life with that calm awareness, I can assure you I did not. Getting married at 38 and giving birth at 39 and 40 is a life-rocking adventure. But God is never late, and the lesson that my identity is not found in what I do, but who I am in Christ came just at the right time.
God knew my roles would look very different in 2026 than they did in 2016, and “in every change, faithful he remain[ed],” to quote the old hymn. I’m so glad he planned for the content single career girl to (very) eventually be the married mama. Jesus does all things well.
And, since you’re reading this, I suppose there is a “we” after all. Thanks for coming along as I begin writing (probably weekly) again. I’m planning on sticking around this time, you know, for the practice.
*Writers are always practicing; we never “arrive”. Each blank page brings a new challenge to communicate our thoughts clearly and effectively.
Made for Eternity 