Easy

I was 21 years old and newly married. Josh and I were both going to school full-time, working full-time, and we both had church callings. He was studying for the LSAT and we were figuring out which law schools we wanted him to apply to. We were living in an old house that always seemed to have something wrong with it in a sketchy area. We lived there in order to save money so that we could pay off my car and save as much as possible in preparation for law school, which we knew would cost a significant amount of money.

I remember feeling really overwhelmed with responsibility at this phase of my life, especially as I paid attention to my co-workers and classmates who were around my age. Many of them were going to school or working, but not both. None of them were dealing with the challenges of the first year of marriage. They weren't concerned about an LSAT score or impending six-figure student loan debt. At the time I felt like it was a lot to handle at 21.

Packing up to that very old house to move for law school, 2010

I look back at that time now and realize how easy things were then. Our life now is the best it's ever been, but it involves more work and more responsibility.  It's more challenging. The funny thing is that when I was struggling with feelings of being overwhelmed at 21, I would think, "Wow, a few years ago things were so easy and I didn't even realize it".  My point here is that as we pursue new goals and take on additional responsibilities, life is obviously going to get harder. When I'm feeling challenged or overwhelmed, I need to remind myself to appreciate how much easier my life is now than I imagine it will be in a few years when we have more children, a house, additional financial responsibilities, and Josh spends more time away from home. One day, when we look back at this time in our lives, we're going to realize how simple it really was. I just want to appreciate that simplicity now, while I'm living it, instead of focusing my attention on the challenges we're currently facing.