I just recently crossed paths with a guy that lived next door to me when I was in Kindergarten. My mind started thinking.. Wow.. He has no idea where my life has taken me since I was in Kindergarten. Back then my mom and dad were married, and I had a baby sister. Now he sees me married with my children, but oh the path God has put me on over the years. Just like everyone else, we just see the NOW, but we honestly have no idea the journey that they took to get to where they are. You don’t know their hurts, hangups, joys, and hardships that have made them who they are today.
Does he know that I know the hardships of being a child of divorce? I have actually seen 2 of them. One that gave me a wonderful stepmom and a Daddy that I would have a buddy in life, but that I saw die in my early 30’s. I now know about what Cirrhosis of the liver can do to a person. I can look at someone and tell that they have a bad liver. I now know things about estates and will planning. I have had a stepdad that gave me 3 wonderful brothers to grow up with. I grew up one of 5 kids, but people today don’t see that. I had a wonderful spiritual set of grandparents during this time. I got to see the Proverbs 31 woman in that Mamaw. I got to have those brothers taken where now I see in passing or social media. I had to say goodbye to one after depression and suicide. All these things change a person. I have been blessed with a great stepdad now that comes with 2 stepbrothers that I use to babysit and a stepsister that I wondered how did she live with those 2 knuckleheads, but in the end, I’m there for them. We have a different grownup friendship.
Would he know that my mom had open heart surgery at 36. I still remember that scary period of my life. I know about mitrovalve prolapse, Coumadin, INR numbers, and other things that people might not know about. Would he know that I have had my knee caps go to the side of my leg more times that I would had liked? I know things like VMO muscles, having my knee drained, lateral releases, etc.
He sees me married. Does he realize I married my high school boyfriend, that while separated, he joined the Army. I have seen him in Korea, Kuwait, Iraq, and lived thru these deployments. Army life is a life in itself. Expect the unexpected as I always say. We had awesome friends there, but there are a lot of stories that could be set with lessons learned. Within this time I have learned so much of having a stepchild and the legal system for custody. I have used my knowledge to help friends, but these are some life lessons I could have skipped, but God put me on this journey of life.
God blessed me with a quirky, fun loving, beautiful sister. I honestly couldn’t had done with journey without her.. We have faced so much together.. from family dramas, miscarriages, to fighting for her husband. My heart breaks seeing her a walking nurse about her husband’s broken heart. She knows more medical terms, medication names, and everything about her husband’s care with his LVAD. She even taught me early on not to run through a glass door.. and I taught her not to knock so hard on a glass window.
We must all remember that God has set us each on a unique journey. There are hardships who make us who we are today. Take your lessons learned and help those around you that might be in similar troubles that might need your insight or maybe just your encouragement. Let’s bring a little light to this world. Yet when you run across someone you might not understand, please remember that you don’t see the journey they have been on. You don’t see their painful times that have made them who they are. Here’s to not being so critical of a person, but instead trying to see that they are a child of God. God loves us no matter what!
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