An adult...

You should really see this with its hover text.

I'm 25 years old, married, have two part time jobs, and (at least partially) manage a household.  Every day I struggle with the reality that I am, by all practical definitions, an "adult."

"Really?" my mind always balks, "You're a 'grown up?'"

I can't put a finger on why this doesn't seem real, but every day I wonder something different along these lines.  For example, I found myself eating Cap'n Crunch for breakfast a few weeks back.  "Is this something an adult does?"  Well, if I'm an adult, then I guess that's a resounding, "Yes!"

In case you didn't know, this comic is the reason my blog is called Playpen Balls.

And so, since I've been having trouble writing lately - much less posting - here is a list of what an adult (not necessarily me) does/has/is.

An adult...

• always has the ingredients on hand to make chicken noodle soup in case someone is sick - or just needs chicken noodle soup.
• makes his/her/their bed.
• remembers to feed the cat.
• remembers to water the plants.
• cleans out the shower drain.
• can throw together spaghetti  in no time flat because he/she has canned sauce and pasta in the cabinet.
• wears deodorant.
• attempts to look presentable when leaving the house.
• keeps on top of the laundry.
• doesn't let dishes pile up.
• makes his/her decisions.
• writes thank you notes in a timely fashion.
• knows when to share.
• remembers to ask people about their loved ones.
• sleeps in maybe two days a week.
• wakes up for alarm clocks.

There are more things, obviously.

But here's the deal:  I am an adult.  I don't do all of these things.  I hope I do someday, but I don't know that I can every be the vision of perfection I have in my mind.  I know that not every other adult does/has/is all of these things and that we all have our failings.

I am also acutely aware that I wasn't actually raised to be who and what and how I am today.  I, in most ways, am totally making it up as I go merrily along.  I get lost, frustrated, and discouraged.  But there's something to be said for having amazing people by my side.

This weekend, I was blessed to have four people in my life - a great aunt, an old family friend, my mother-in-law, and one of my best friends - throw a wonderful little bridal shower for me.  Thanks to the generosity of our family and friends, along with a little help from the magic internet fairies at Bed, Bath, & Beyond and Amazon's registry sections, I now feel ever-so-much more equipped to handle this chapter of my life.  I can bake with my new bread pans, cake pans, and a boatload of Pyrex.  I can cool those baked goods with awesome racks.  My roast meats will now roast properly on a rack in a roasting pan!  I can have a smoothie tomorrow if I want to because we received a blender.  Our new towels are going to make us - and our guests feel comforted, as well as dry.  Our lovely new sheets are going to handle bleaching and hold up to the gentle cycle.  Our double waffle maker is quick and amazing.  Our someday-children are going to be popular because of it.

And do you know what?  Knowing that I have the means to make more things happen is really comforting.  Knowing that I can pretty much follow any recipe ever without needing to modify it to fit the neads of a girl going without is really cool.

I've also thought a bit lately about who I was just four years ago.  One of m best guy friends and I used to have discussions about who would get married when.  We knew one of our group would be first.  Neither of us could have dreamed that I'd be next.

Life isn't the contest we once imagined it to be.  It's a river we're all going down.  Sometimes we fall out of the boat we've had and have to swim along the waters or walk along the shore.  Having a good crew is vital.

I'm so glad to be where I am, to have who I have, and to possess what I do - physically, mentally, and spiritually.

"There's bound to be rough waters
And I know I'll take some falls
But with the good Lord as my captain,
I can make it through them all."- "The River," Garth Brooks  ((Give it a listen!))