Out of the mouth of babes...

Last week, I had the opportunity to pick up my nephew from DE on my way to NJ prior to leaving for the Davis family reunion in Detroit. During the ride, my nephew and I talked about a variety of things, nothing to deep... he's 9. But, despite standing at 5'1-5'2, which at times causes people to think he's older than he is, he said something that reminded me that he is still a little boy. We were having a conversation about him wanting siblings, and the fact that he was over having a little brother or sister because he doesn't want to share. The statement made me giggle, before saying that you'll have to share eventually, especially if you get married. His immediate response was, "then I won't get married, I don't want to share". This just made me laugh harder!

Nephew will out grow this, but his statement made me think about the mentality that I've heard/read on various media outlets and social networks sites about marriage being pointless, not necessary in society anymore, or the worst one, marriage only benefits women.As Justin and I prepare for our one-year anniversary, it makes me sad the number of people who are throwing away a fundamental element of families. Family stability makes a difference, I'm sure each of us can reflect back on our family system and see how it can influenced our values, beliefs, etc. simply because of the positive and negative elements that we've witnessed growing up. But, in reality, our selfish nature plays a role in how we respond to marriage. My nephew is a 9-year-old only child, he's used to being spoiled and not having to share, but again, he'll grow out of it, he'll watch his father's marriage and learn that compassion, service, love and sharing are all fundamental parts of not only marriage but many of our relationships and he will desire that for himself. And that's a lesson that all people who desire marriage either recognize prior to saying "I Do" or learn after spending money for a counselor to challenge them to be better at being a spouse.

So, if you want to get married and aren't in a relationship, love this time. Figure out your hot spots, your non-negotiables, and the things you just can't live without. Marriage is work, but just like working to get healthy has great rewards, so does working towards a healthy marriage.

Learning Curve

*** This is a blog that I've been intending to write since like Labor Day weekend, but alas, time has gotten away from me. ***

On May 26, 2011, I had PRK, a form of laser eye surgery. Laser eye surgery is something that I've been considering since it was first publicized for "normal" people in 1998. However, even at 16 common sense told me to continue to research and track how the procedure was received by the general public. Are people losing their vision unexpectedly, are eyeballs rolling around on cheeks, etc? Well, since that day, life has been different and I'm learning something new each day about experiences that I've been having for YEARS.

Before my procedure, I handed J my glasses for the final time. Since then, I have found myself adjusting my glasses, waking up panicked about having slept in my contacts by accident, and appreciating being able to watch tv without my glasses as I fall asleep. But, at the same time, I've marveled at common activities, such as exercising without my glasses flopping around as I jog, or daily grooming and being able to see while I'm in the shower, etc.

But, I can say that I'm even more excited about going to Cancun in a few weeks. I can't wait to experience previous activities, especially snorkeling, for the first time without wearing contacts. In the past, I've been so nervous about water getting into the goggles and losing a contact, which would possibly ruin my trip, that I couldn't take in all the sights. I'm excited about not having to fuss with glasses and contacts when thinking about what "look" I was going for when getting dressed for events. I've even invested money in getting more eye make-up, still don't consider myself a make-up person, but I'm making small steps to take advantage of being able to see!

With all these small changes, I have had to learn to make adjustments and I'm still learning that even old experiences will have a new spin. My vision is improving daily and I'm still in the healing process but I'm excited about the new sight and what the future will hold.