Milestones



Here it is, another Monday, and the start of another work week. I have my coffee, and I'm ready to work. I hope everyone had a good weekend. As for myself, I traveled up North with my kids, to my hometown, for my folk's 25th Wedding Anniversary. They served cake and other goodies after church service, and the other girls and I helped serve and clean up. Afterwards, we all went out for pizza buffet, sat around talking for awhile, and then made our goodbyes. I went out to my folk's house for about an hour or so afterwards, and I was the first one to arrive as my kids rode with my parents and then made a pit stop.

My dad's house is out in the country, and now that it's early June everything was in full bloom. I walked around the yard for awhile, admiring things here and there that I hadn't seen in years. My favorite part of the yard is the tree-lined driveway. Big trees stand diligently along both sides of the road, and provide cover from the elements. 

My dad bought that house 25 years ago, right before he got married to my stepmom. There weren't a lot of trees on the property, and my dad set to remedy that by planting several, including the ones that line the drive. I can remember when he planted them, they were all just little saplings, no more than a few feet high. 

It struck me then, as I gazed at these trees, now magnificent in size, that they were a metaphor for my dad's marriage. The seeds were planted 25 years ago, and, over that time, so much has happened, so much has grown. The house transformed and grew over the years, as an addition was built, decks were added, a few re-paintings occurred, and the landscaping changed.  Three children grew up, moved out, went to school, got married, and had children. Over the years, grandchildren have turned from babies to big kids to teenagers, spending time visiting grandma and grandpa along the way.

As the years have gone by, the love has grown deeper between two people. While it may seem like it's reached its peak, there is still room for growth. Like our blended family, the trees saw their biggest growth over these 25 years, and even though they don't grow as fast as they did before, they still get a bit taller every year. Our family has grown taller every year, and the change is just as magnificent as the trees that line the driveway of my dad's house.

If there's anything we can take away from this, it's that there are milestones in life. Milestones mark the distance between two places, and in life, we use these to mark significant events. There's a deeper meaning to be gained from these events, and it's that the people you care about give your life such meaning, indeed they are a part of your personal story. Milestones we mark means we made it. Through the trials & tribulations of our lives, we made it! We have progressed in life, and we can look forward to more. It means that we can learn to dream big, or believe in something we never thought possible.

Happy Anniversary you two!  We all love you very much, and we can't wait for the next 25 years.  I wonder what the trees will look like then.



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