"We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves."  ~Lynn Hall
My High School is having a huge event this weekend. We will be celebrating it's 100th year anniversary with a sort of all years reunion. In honor of the 20+ years that have passed since graduation, I've been thinking about the woman I am now compared to the girl I was then.

Then~ I was smart enough to give up on studying and still get really good grades.
Now~ Thanks to college and two horrible semesters, I have realized that it is the studying, research, questioning and deliberation and not the tests (in school and in life) that make me smarter.

Then~I looked to other people to tell me who I was and what I stood for.
Now~Thanks to the continual moving of the military life and the friendship of college and beyond, I've come to understand who I am and know without a shadow of a doubt what I stand for.

Then~I tried really hard to fit in, to not bring attention to myself because attention of any kind meant that there was a greater chance of being ridiculed.
Now~Thanks to maturity and the chance to grow older and wiser, I've learned that minimizing myself doesn't serve anyone. I'm wonderfully made, for reasons only God knows, and I have strengths that are needed in every situation.

Then~I couldn't understand why my parents always took me to far away lands and tried to teach me about the culture when all I wanted to do was be in America.
Now~I'm so thankful for those early experiences abroad. The military life has taken me abroad and immersed me and my family in cultures that I couldn't have even dreamed of. Those early opportunities gave me a strong base to succeed and thrive overseas. Understanding other cultures makes it all the more clearer how blessed we are to be Americans.

Then~I was so caught up in my own drama, I missed a great opportunity to get to know some amazing people.
Now~Thanks to our military life, I'm so caught up with amazing people that I have no time for the drama.

Looking back at the girl who graduated so many years ago, and considering now the woman that she has become, I'm thankful for the good and bad times. Good times have been fuel for the journey and bad times have been opportunities to further clarify my strengths. The next 20+ years are full of so much promise because the last 20+ years have been full of tremendous growth. I look forward to the journey ahead.