When I was a girl, with pigtails and curls...

I have recently been assigned to look over the Young Women between the ages of 12-18 for my church within my area. Tonight, we got together to work on some goals for the girls to work towards to help the develop their spiritual growth, personal skills and develop their wonderful talents. While we were talking about goals, I asked the girls to write down how they would like their futures to look like, what kind of homes, mothers, wife they wanted to be and what they would like to accomplish in this life time. As they were thinking and writing ideas, I was reflecting on what I thought my life would turn out when I was their age.

When I was younger, well I mean, a lot younger I had the ideal idea on how my life should turn out. It went something like this:

When I turn 18, I will finish high school, meet the man of my dreams (would have had to serve a mission for the Mormon church of course) and get married. Have like a million babies and live happily ever after. The end. Oh wait... maybe live in a mansion, and have someone cook and clean for me and my family.

Of course, we all know life never goes according to plan. I am embarrassed to admit that even at the ripe age of 16, I still thought this fantasy of being married at 18 was possible, why not, two of my sisters married young, one 18 and the other at 19.  Now I know you are all smiling and possibly laughing at my young mind and impossible dream, but believe it or not, it happens to some young women in the church. It just never happened to me.

Now I am 31, I smile to myself and I am glad that my life didn't turn out the way I wanted it too, way back when. Although a lot of the time I find it hard to accept the plan that my Heavenly Father has for me, I know that He has my best interest and knows what he is doing. Does this mean that I need to put on a happy face all of the time? No, I don't think so, but it does mean that through times where I feel like I have been forgotten, that I can turn to my Father in Heaven for comfort.

So tonight, when my girls tell me their goals for the future, such as being a back-up dancer for Justin Beiber, I just quietly smile to myself and and love them for their dreams and ambitions. Anything is possible ;)