Would you alter your past?

On Wednesday at mutual the girls were discussing their plans for the future.

Many of them revolved around "marrying into money". This thought process being so they could travel the world, not have to really take care of the kids, not have to worry about being a starving student, or being a starving student with children. Go to college to get an MRS rather than a degree that could help support a family if necessary. And then many mentioned that they wanted to be in their late twenties when they got married.

Honestly, this was the conversation going on while we were sewing hats for kids with cancer.

When I was their age my thoughts were no where near this!

I knew I would go to college and get a degree that could help me if I didn't get married.

It's always your dream/hope that you will get married while you are in school but this doesn't always happen! I have so many friends who are proof of this and they live amazing lives doing what they love doing because they got the education they needed!

Marry into money?!?!

I have to say, it would be awesome!

But realistically? It is highly unlikely.

I kept my thoughts to myself, gotta let them have their dreams/fantasies right?

Well when they started mentioning that they wanted to not get married at a young age a few of the leaders started chiming in too.

They said that if they could go back they would wait to get married until they were 25-28.

Their reasoning, 

"There are so many amazing things that you can do when you are young and single! Travel the world, do things that are hard to do with kids like going to sporting events, attend runway shows, concerts, travel whenever you wish....."

So they seconded the girls ideas of waiting to get married, or at least postponing children until they had reached these amazing mile stones that are hard to do once children come into the picture.

Don't get me wrong. I love these ladies and these girls!

I think they have valid points

But here are mine:

1. Go to college to get a degree you love. This way while you are hoping Mr. Right comes along you can be working on things that you love, rather than make you feel like you want to die!

But also so if Mr. Right does come along and he isn't Mr. Money Bags you can help him!

Whether it's helping by putting him through school, helping pay the bills, saving money so you can travel, or saving money for the future family and house you want to have!

2. I got married a few months after I turned 20. Sure I missed out on some fun adventures because we became two poor college students with meager bank accounts rather than just individuals, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I honestly don't regret not getting to travel as much as I would have liked before getting married, but hey! I will travel again, and I think it might mean more to me because I have to save up and wait for a little longer!

3. Kids do put dampers on somethings, sure traveling with them can be hard depending on their age, but by-golly! I love my little girl and wouldn't trade her for a trip to Europe!!!

4. If I had chosen not to marry Mr. Dawson and post-pone that by serving a mission for my church, or telling him I wanted to finish my degree first. 

(All very good things and I understand why people choose to do that)

I most likely wouldn't have Ellie.

With my knowledge of how my fertility is all screwy, I believe it to be a miracle given by God that Ellie is here with our little family!

Who knows what one year or more later than me getting married in 2008 might have done to my chance to be blessed with such an intelligent, beautiful, energetic girl!

So to sum it all up, I understand the thoughts that people make about wishing the could change little things about their past.

But it's not for me.

I think that everything that has happened in my life was supposed to happen the way it did because I can look back and see how perfectly things lined up for me to be where I am today, doing what I do.

That's my rant for today!

=)