A couple of weeks ago, I read an article online and the writer was young. She was in her mid-20’s and was getting ready to move to Europe for a job opportunity. In the post she thanked her mom and dad for all their support, and for a just a moment, I wondered what that felt like.  What that looked like. I wondered what it felt like to be mid-20s, nourished under the umbrella of those kind of parents. In all honesty, by mid-20 some of my hardest years to date had already been lived. Actually, I’ll go ahead and say, ALL of my hardest years to date had already been lived. While I enjoyed the article, I found I couldn’t really relate.

Sometimes I run across a picture of myself as a child, and it takes my breath for a second. I look at the girl, with my same blue eyes, and a wide grin, and in a split second I’ll think of all the things that have transpired since then – all the things she didn’t know and some of the things she knew that the picture hid. It can be a bit overwhelming.

But then….

I think about the beauty born out of struggle. I see a picture of me now, and the laugh lines that frame the same wide smile. The crow’s feet that are a visual reminder of a life of joy. The comfort of knowing exactly who I am…and really liking that person. I’m reminded of a heart that is open and understanding to others. A heart that loves fiercely. A life that is beautiful. There are parts of my story I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to go through…but those are the parts that developed a strength and confidence I wouldn’t trade.

That Sunday morning, after I read the article, I stood in the kitchen and my son came out of his room.  He asked me a question, and while I answered him I thought, “I don’t have to wonder what that looks like – I’m looking at it now. I’m standing here talking to a young man who knows exactly what that feels like.”

You see, we don’t all get the same start. Like it or not – it’s true. We don’t all have the same opportunities. But those things don’t have to hold us back. While I’ll never be able to relate to the same experience of the young lady in her mid-20’s, I’ve been blessed to love and offer that to someone else.

And that, y’all, is pretty amazing.

Lord, thank you – even if the little girl in those long ago pictures had no clue where life would lead, You did…and I’m grateful. Beyond words.

This is a beautiful life.