Week 36: Look how far we've come

I wish I could have sealed the moment in an envelop and mailed back in time to the apartment I shared with Janet. We would have been happy to see all of the love and fun and promise our futures held.

There I was, hours before the clock turned the year to 2007. I was eight months pregnant, doing my hair and make up in Janet's dresser mirror. I could hear three-year-old Andy call his mom "Sir."

"Girls are ma'ams, boys are sirs." She corrected.

"Why?" He quipped.

"That's just the way it is."

"Why?"

"Go ask Daddy."

We were going with our husbands and her two sons to Ikea to buy a dresser for my soon-to-be-born son. Just that simple clip would have turned us both giddy with excitement--Really? We get married?! And to Dave and Andy! Yes!! We have kids? We're still friends?! Awesome!

Janet and I moved in together at a time when we needed to laugh through many disappointments and frustrations. It was 1999. Every month we scraped together $590 to pay rent for our large two-bedroom basement apartment. We ate Ramen noodles and microwave pop corn for most meals. My parents had recently separated and she she had just gone through a traumatic break up. A glimpse into our future would have been great.

If we had known the good stuff that was coming, I wonder if we would have dreamed as much. I wonder if we would have worked so hard to heal and to trust. I wonder if we would enjoy our present every day treasures as much as we do.