one thing i've learned about being in hilton head this summer is the wealth of knowledge older people have. they've been around this block before, perhaps several times. they have so many experiences, they've seen the world, they've fallen in and out of love, and somehow each person's story is so unique from the others. tells of heartache, joy, purpose, and fulfillment. and moreover, they love to talk about it and impart knowledge onto the "spring chickens" (aka people in their 20s).
anywho...so Rainer (pronounced Rye-ner) is this 65-year-old gentleman who was giving me advice about what to do after i graduate from grad school. yes, we were a few glasses of wine into this conversation so he might have been a little forward. he stammered on with his thick German accent about how "you do not get married before the age of 30!" and "you can have a little fun on the side, do whatever it is you want to do. be egotistical. find out who you want to be, because you can only love and care for another person once you've conquered yourself. travel the world and experience life. because life? you get one shot."
ok, that wasn't verbatim. that was a lot of my interpretation of what he said to me. but it's so true.
but then here's my mom in the room who was married with 2 children by the time she was 30 years old...so that made for an interesting conversation. mom just replied that basically everyone is different. and you don't know when you'll "fall for the one." and made a firm effort to state that "God is lookin' down on this baby...she'll find what she needs whenever it's time."
God love her soul. How true that is, and how much sweeter and even more true it sounds to hear your mother say those words.
i appreciate Rainer and his straight-forwardness in finding who YOU are and what YOU want before finding, falling, and sacrificing for someone else.
AMEN, son.
Can we get a hallelujah?
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