When I was engaged and newly married, I heard the classic “just wait . . .” statements a lot.
“Just wait until you see what it’s really like to be married.”
“Just wait until the honeymoon stage ends.”
“Just wait until you have kids.”
“Just wait until you get sick of each other.”
It was easy to let the “what ifs” fill my mind. With lots and lots (and LOTS) of years ahead of us, there were (and still are) inevitably a lot of hard things ahead.
But if someone had told me our first year and a half of marriage would consist of intense mood swings, migraines, exhaustion, and a brain-tumor diagnosis, I would have been freaking out instead of enjoying our gorgeous honeymoon and first few months as a married couple. Because worrying about things down the road prevents us from enjoying the blessings of today.
I look back on sleepless nights and know that they’re just plain pointless. I’ve begun to accept and find joy in knowing that life “is what it is.” It sounds so mundane, but it’s really quite beautiful.
Giving up on the right things
Recently the one and only Ingrid Michaelson taught me a little lesson about this.
I’ve been a longtime Ingrid Michaelson fan. My friend, Elizabeth, and I went to see her in concert last year and it was a.m.a.z.i.n.g. I know every word to every one of her songs, but a couple of days ago I really listened to the lyrics of Giving Up: