Photo albums...avoid them!!!

I'm putzing around my folks' house and I happen to spy my childhood photo album. Big mistake!

I open it and am initially shocked to see how much my kids look like my sister and me as kids. Caedmon looks spookily similar to my little sister in baby pictures. This also brings me a measure of joy and hope...my sis and I are great friends and, so far, my kids seem to be getting along just as well.

Then I got into my tomboy and pre-pubescent years...a lot scarier looking than I remember. I now understand how someone could've mistaken me for a boy in the early 90s...I look like a boy! For some reason I've never been able to look at my childhood pictures as honestly as I can now. I feel like I'm looking in the light of young parent eyes. I'm not able to see myself as anything but gorgeous so far in my high school years. Maybe when my kids are teenagers I will be more honest with those images of my self.

Here's an immediate question that came to my mind as I look (specifically) at my jr. high pictures. "How did go through those years with such a well of confidence?" Looking at those pictures now I know my friends were kind people and my God was loving God. Both sheltered me from many of the comments that destroy many jr. high hearts. Thank God for His grace and forbearance in those years. Shaping me (really starting then) into the adult I am now.

I hope that this is something that continues to happen as I continue to get older. Thank You for family and an awesome life!