What she'd think

A family member recently shared this photo on Facebook.

It got me thinking. What would childhood-Erin think of adult-Erin?

I think she'd be surprised that I married the librarian's son, and pleased to see that I found love and stability. I think she would relish the warmth in our home.

She'd be disappointed that I'm not fabulously wealthy. But happy that the lack of, pursuit of, or preoccupation with money does not dominate our home.

She'd likely wonder what happened to my daydreams of creating a band and learning to play multiple instruments. And why I hadn't yet achieved these goals in order to play on stage with Roger Waters. Yes, I thought this was a tangible goal at one point.

She might be frustrated that I don't have a perfect body. She was holding out hope that eventually she would grow into a "perfect" shape. Didn't happen, childhood-Erin. But she would hopefully be proud of how far I've come in accepting the body I do have, and pleased to see that I'm married to a man who actually thinks I do have the perfect shape.

What would she think of my mothering skills? She would probably wish that I would relax more.

Childhood-Erin probably envisioned a much more glamorous adult self, living a much more glamorous life. Instead, she grew up to be an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. But an ordinary life that is filled with love, gratitude, and happiness. And maybe that isn't so ordinary, after all.