26

Today, I turn 26.  This means that I am in the latter half of my twenties.  Or maybe that is what my last birthday meant....  Either way, I wasn't stoked to turn 25 and 26 isn't much better.  I think a lot of people drag their feet into their thirties as they realize that they are indeed growing "old," but perhaps it is due to feeling that they haven't accomplished enough yet.  Maybe they realize that the numbers say "adult" in full, yet their lives don't measure up to their childhood expectations.

As I study the lines at the creases of my eyes (they are there), I have indeed accomplished a lot in the first half of my twenties.

At 20, I finished up my senior year of college and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Creative Writing.  A few weeks later, I married Christopher.  We moved to Lynchburg to start our M.A.s in the fall.

At 21, I started my Master of Arts in English and began working as a Grad Assistant.

At 22, I started my Master's thesis.  I read a lot.  I wrote a lot.  I defended my thesis and graduated with my Master of Arts in English.  A few weeks before my 23rd birthday, we bought our first house.

At 23, I started my Doctorate in Education.  I took a ton of doctorate courses, worked as a Grad Assistant for the School of Ed, and started teaching adjunct for Liberty.  In the spring, I got pregnant with Eliot.  Christopher and I bought our first car together.

At 24, I continued to take about 36 credits of doctorate classes a year--if you didn't know, full-time is 6 credits a semester.  I had Eliot.  A couple of months after stepping down from my Grad Assistant position, I was offered (and accepted) a full-time contract to teach English for Liberty.

At 25, I became an official doctorate candidate after I passed my Comprehensive Exam (and on my birthday, mind you).  I began working on my dissertation.  I began working as an Instructional Mentor for Liberty.  I got pregnant with our second baby, but lost him or her.  I celebrated five years of marriage with Christopher.

And here is 26.  This year, I hope to finish my dissertation (finger crossed).  I hope to have another successful pregnancy and healthy baby.  I hope to keep working as an English Instructor and Instructional Mentor.

I'm not listing these events to pat my own back.  Certainly, all of this is by the grace of God.  And I am truly thankful to have had so many great experiences in the first half of my twenties.  Let's hope the second half will be just as exciting. 

Chris and I talk about growing older frequently.  Maybe it is because we are parents now.  Maybe it is because death crosses our minds with the loss of his grandfather a year and a half ago as well as both of our grandmothers standing in awkward places as far as care goes.  Or maybe it is because both Chris and his dad became parents at the exact same age, so (in some ways) Chris finds himself in a position that his dad once was.  Either way, growing older is frightening at times, especially knowing that much depends on you.

Maybe people don't like growing older because they mourn the loss of youthful spontaneity due to responsibility.  It's not that either of us feel more "tied down" now that we are older (or parents).  Realistically, we could never just "get up and go" out of town or on some crazy adventure.  We've always had school, work, little money, and then a dog.  Seriously, the dogs hold us back from random travels more than a baby.  I mean, with a toddler, it's not like we're going to run out to the store or go hiking at midnight anymore--we have to plan more--but I have always gotten tired at 9:00 pm anyway.  And when I get tired, you probably don't want to be around me.  Now I do sound old.  Ha.

Looking back, I don't envy my younger years.  If I became unstuck in time, I wouldn't want to go back into the past.  I love today, where I am in life, and enjoying our little family.  So, why be bothered by growing older?  It just keeps getting better.  Also, next year I will be 27, and I have been promised that I will know the secrets of the universe at 27.