The cost of getting along

The cost of getting along

Over the last couple weeks I have been transferring my old home video VHS tapes to DVDs – all 25 of them. At 2 hours per tape, there is over 50 hours of video from 1992 through 2004. What does all this history show us? Well, lots of shaky video for one, and lots of birthdays, Christmases and holidays, lots of smiles and waves, even some tears, but more than anything, I see memories.

Having the privilege to get married young and start a family in my early to mid-20’s, I am now steadily moving from a parent of babes to a parent of adults. It’s surreal, no doubt, especially in the face of so many late 20’s and early 30’s friends that have yet to tie the knot, yet speak of having a family one day. Those friends put a great deal of energy into personal goals and ambitions pertaining to work, missions, or other. I don’t judge or condemn their choice, merely remind them of the ticking clock, as they begin to rattle off the ‘one day’ notion of parenting children.

There is a great cost when investing in children – and, shall I make it clear, a cost worth each minute. Yet with that choice we give up other opportunities, be it personal goals or acts of service. Choosing to give of ourselves to children means choosing not to be that other person. And I’m OK with that. For I know that my God-centered ambitions are not lost in the mayhem of bringing up the family unit, but rather will suffer a wait as my priorities are directed toward something better – better for me, anyway, because I was created to parent my little knot-heads. And I will embrace that beautiful place each day, even beyond the last one to fly the coop.

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