Day 200: Alter Guild

After my wild night chaperoning the Homecoming dance, you would think that I'd let myself sleep in the following day. But I did manage to get up for church today. Not necessarily because I wanted to, but because I had a meeting with Sue, who has recently asked me to join the church's alter guild.

That's right, I am the newest member of Good Shepherd Lutheran's Alter Guild. This simply means that, during my assigned months, I set up the alter before church and take it down afterward. It's actually a fairly simple job and a good way to become involved in this community.

But it still makes me feel a little bit like an old woman.

Now, Sue specifically said that the reason she was asking me to join was because she was looking to get some young blood on the team. I certainly appreciate the sentiment, but it doesn't stop me from wondering if I am truly getting old before my time!

And then I have to wonder if this is at all connected to being married. My day-to-day life has not changed all that much since the day I said, "I do." But I certainly don't ever remember feeling old before July 1, 2010. And lately, I seem to feel that way more and more often.

There is certainly something about being married that makes me feel more mature. And the fact that people have lately gone from asking us, "Are you going to have kids?" to "Do you have kids?" makes me wonder if I am starting to look more mature as well. Maturity certainly isn't a bad thing; but I definitely don't want people thinking I'm in my 30s when I still have plenty of time left in my 20s!

And what am I supposed to think when, after I say, "No, we don't have kids yet," the response has gone from, "Well, you have plenty of time," to "Well, you have a few years!" Really??? I'm 27 years old!!!

Deep breath...I'm probably making a lot more of this than I ought to. In fact, I think in a lot of situations, I come across as younger than I am. My students were shocked to learn that I wasn't just out of college and was, in fact, five entire years, out. They could have just been looking for extra credit, but I appreciated it anyway.

And when I bring this up to anyone older than me, the thing I hear the most often is that you really are only as old as you feel! Well, some nights I do feel a lot older than 27. But usually, I still feel like a kid - in a good way! I love to have fun, I still plan crazy adventures, and my imagination still runs as wild as it did when I was in single-digits. I'll always appreciate the joy and innocence of childlike moments.

So, I guess being on the Alter Guild doesn't make me old. And being married certainly doesn't either. The fact is, I love who I am right now, at this very moment. 17, 27, 37, or 87...the number is completely irrelevant. But living in the moments you have been given (no matter how many) is not.