On Being An Adult

Maybe I've mentioned it before, but Sunday is my favorite day of the week. It hasn't always been my favorite as those of you who have worked in the restaurant world know, Sunday mornings are often busy with the after church crowd. But now Sunday's are guaranteed days off and it's pretty glorious.

Sunday's are a day to reflect on the week that has passed. A day to plan for the week ahead. It's a day to catch up on all those things we don't have time for during the week, like laundry and vacuuming, like reading for pleasure, and just maybe for studying for that pesky midterm next week. But maybe most importantly, it's a day to recoop and recharge.

This last week has been filled with highs and lows, the kind that sneak up on you and make you fully aware you're now an adult and this is life. Perhaps the best high of the week is that I was promoted on Tuesday. I'm now the Assistant Vice President of one of the Credit Union's branches. It feels good friends and it comes with a pay raise that has me considering becoming a homeowner.

For the last few days I have been scanning local websites and seeing what my options would be if I did indeed want to buy a house. As someone new to the real estate world, it's pretty surprising that I could buy a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house for $70,000 or less. Granted one is a foreclosure and one is a short sale, but I still wasn't expecting to find somethng that cheap and in my price range.

I don't know if I'm ready to leap into home ownership, but it's exciting just to think about. It's exciting to know that I will definitely be out of my parent's house this year. I think I will rent for a year and see where that takes me.

I spent part of my Sunday morning reading the paper, the whole paper. I don't know if you have done that recently, but it's not the most relaxing thing to do these days. The paper is filled with stories about the upcoming election, financial problems in Europe, deaths in Afghanistan, worries over Iran and Israel, etc. etc.

But it also reminds me just how small this world is. In May, I will have a friend deployed to Afghanistan with the Air Force. I currently have a friend in Djibouti, Africa with the Navy and by the end of March, my brother and his family will be in Japan. It's hard having people you care about spread around the globe. The week after my friend arrived in Africa, there was a plane crash that killed 4 soldiers returning to the base in Djibouti from Afghanistan. The base my friend will be going to in Afghanistan in May is currently in the news after the burning of Qurans and increased killings done in retaliation. And let's not forget about the massive 8.9 earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan a year ago.

I'm not dwelling on these worries, but they are the facts. It brings to light how events happening around the world can really hit close to home. It's truly not such a big world.

The lowest of lows this week was the passing of a life before it even started. I've mentioned a few times the baby boom that's happening at my work. Probably 10 or more women have had babies in the last year. One woman I worked with at another branch was due this week. I'm so sad to say that her baby was stillborn. She was actually passed her due date and went to the hospital after she had not felt her baby move in the last day. The baby no longer had a heartbeat.

I cannot imagine what this woman is going through now. To carry your child for 9 months and have the hand of fate take her away before her life even began. This young woman is only 24 and now has to bury her first child. It's beyond words. My thoughts and prayers go to her family as Heaven got a new angel this week.

I know this post got heavy but the truth is that this is life. Life is filled with joy, disappointments, and sadness that takes our breath away. It's about new life, death, war, and everything in between. The point is that no matter how hard it gets, this life is worth it. It's worth the effort and it's worth the risk.

Hug your loved ones today and cherish every moment you get to spend with them. Call a friend you haven't heard from in a while. Enjoy your life.

And enjoy your Sunday.