Estimated reading time: 2 minute(s)

This morning I happened to catch a glimpse of a cute photo of our daughter, Julia. It was taken when she was two years old (she’s standing next to a gigantic number 2). She’s now three, and just as cute. Maybe cuter.

For some reason, when I saw the photo, I thought how it would probably make the wedding rehearsal slideshow for her someday. (If we’re still doing those with two dimensional photos…) I quickly followed that thought with, “That day better be really far off!” And I was satisfied with knowing that it is. When our baby Julia is getting married, “That will be so crazy!”

(What? Don’t you carry on conversations with yourself in your head?)

It seems like when our fourth child is of an age to be married, then we will be really old. How could life move along so far? How could we ever get there?

But then I remembered other milestones I thought were so far in the future we’d “never” get there. I thought it would be officially crazy when we had an eight year old. Don’t know why really… just thought that meant our kids were past the point of tiny. Well… we are nearly to our second eight year old, and seems pretty normal from here.

I turned 26 in the year 2000. I remember thinking (many years ago!) that would be really crazy, both being 26 and the year 2000. We’re at 34 and 2009 now and, again, all seems normal from here.

What about turning 30? That milestone came and went. Now I suppose looking ahead… 40 and 50 are coming in the not too far off.

These markers along the timeline are interesting, and fun to track… but it is crazy how life moves just slowly enough that once you get there, all seems about the same. Just, normal. I’m guessing once we get to seeing our kids marrying and starting their own families, it will be much the same. Not that there won’t be moments of reflection, and a few, “Wow, I can’t believe we’re really here!” But I imagine overall – as it has been so far – it will just be the normal timeline of life. All of the events that will lead up to that will bring us there together, and it will seem just… “right”.

So that day will come. As did 2000, and 30, and 8 almost twice. I’ll enjoy those when I get there. For now, we’re going to enjoy our three-year-old Julia. 🙂