Plans are underway for my 10 year high school reunion. The reunion committee set up a website where everyone can post pictures and profiles. I posted mine…and I have rewritten 50 times. How do you sum up the enormous amount of living I have done in the past 10 years? It does not seem like that long ago, but at the same time it seems like a different life.
Having read profile after profile I have noticed a trend towards trying to make our lives sound idealistic. My ex husband and I (so far) are the only ones to mention the “Big D” (divorce) in our actual profiles. Everyone sounds successful and happy and floating on a cloud and 10 lbs lighter. But, what constitutes a successful 10 years? A college degree, or several? Does a big house and lots of money? Does a pretty wife or a fancy car make you a success? If we are going by a lot of these standards my life may not sound very successful. Divorced, re-married, stay at home mom, no degree, pretty typical middle class family (with a few more than the average number of kids).
But, I feel very successful right now. I have four kids who are happy (for the most part). I have a wonderful husband who takes care of me and who relies on me to take care of him as well. I have a few really fabulous friends that I can count on. I have an amazing family. I have some really bad days, but for the most part my days are good. I may spend the majority of my days on mundane things…the laundry, grocery shopping, diapers, cooking, cleaning…but I have a very full life. I have an emerging relationship with God that was so lacking in my life 10 (even 5) years ago.
Can we just all stop trying to sell ourselves to each other? Can’t we just be thankful that we are here in this moment?
Success is what you want it to be. It doesn’t come with money or accolades…it is only something that you can define.
