Every now and then I think things like, "What if I'd just had two children? That would have been a normal enough thing for a person to have done. What would that be like?"
It's just such a strange thing to imagine up different lives that one might have just as reasonably lived as the one they are living.
Can you imagine that one for example? Just ... Abe and Daisy???
That phase of raising small children would have already been such a distant part of my existence. I'd just have two kids, who had long since moved away from home, in graduate school.
What would I have been doing these past years?
It's like those choose-your-own-ending books I used to read in elementary.
Some experiences and situations are beyond our control, that is true. But it's intriguing to me to consider how much of our life experience we choose and create. And how much we might have created very differently.
It's boggling to me for some reason.
In any case, for good or ill (ha!), here I am, raising chillens, like I was 20-plus years ago.
The second picture in this group deserves to be in a magazine! And the thoughts of not having all ten of your children is horrifying. Who in the world could we leave out? None of them!!!!
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking along these lines too lately. Such a weird train of thought. But at any rate, I'm glad you're still raising those hooligans! And tell Summer I think her haircut is ADORABLE.
ReplyDeleteAs we were driving Debbie (our #5) to the temple the day she got married we were reminded of the day we drove her to the Provo MTC. Joseph asked her, "What number are you Deb?" and she replied, "I'm #5 Dad. Just think, if you and mom were typical members you'd be empty nesters and going home to an empty house!" Joseph got quiet and with tears in his eyes said, "I'm so glad we aren't! That just sounds terrible."
ReplyDeleteOnce in a great while we will think about what if... and then decide we are so happy with our NOW.