Outside the Frame

My friend Elyse recently started an online writing club.

You can check out that post for all the details,

which I love her for sharing.

I'm excited about it. I love reading other people's words,

and sharing mine, too.

Her first prompt: "Find a picture: Write what's happening outside of the frame."

Sundays in the park. We can all relate to that. 

Last Sunday I went exploring with my new husband in our new city, to spend our afternoon in no way in particular. We walked around with our minds on different things, typical. He named all the different trees in the park and planned his someday garden, and I watched people. I like learning what his trees are called, even if I'm terrible with names.

Squirrels were everywhere. They were not quite as afraid of me as I would have preferred. We loved it, though, and Michael threw acorns as fast as he could find them. It was carefree and relaxing, all in all, but outside that moment there was so much to think about.

We were just married, and just moved, and just trying to get a hang of this growing up business. But the pieces you hear about, those aren't the hard parts. Paying bills together, figuring out insurance, looking for a job, making long term plans...that's the growing up you picture. That's what you wonder if you're ready for.

Then it hits, and you just do those things. They need to be done, so you do them. The growing up that's hard is entirely different. What's hard is seeing what "grown ups" deal with. Seeing my friends who lose babies, or can't have babies. The friends who lose trust in the someone they always thought they'd have. The friends who don't want to believe in anything anymore, they're just so tired. Suddenly people all around you are dealing with things you just never really imagined.

At least I didn't.

And then comes the selfish part. I look at the incredibly hard things I see people deal with - from people I barely know to family I love, and I get afraid. If Michael and I keep on with this growing up we're doing, then what's in store? What will happen? There's just more heartbreak in the world than I ever knew up to this point, and it's unnerving. I just never knew.

But, there's the flip side. Although I suddenly see the things these friends are dealing with, I also get a glimpse into the ways they meet what has come. And let me tell you, I have impressive friends. They just have this strength, this way of holding on to what they believe and moving forward.

That's what you do, move forward. Even if you're afraid of what the future holds (and I know it will always hold more good than bad). Even if you're someone that has already faced more than you ever thought you would. Those are the people I look to and learn from, all the time. In fact, I think that's just about everyone, if you hear enough of their story. That's what brings me back to perspective, and takes away my slight desire to freeze life on today. Everyone is dealing with more than we know, which means we're all more capable than we ever realized. Life will be hard, but people are strong.

And no matter what life has in store, there will always be Sundays in the park. We'll always have those. If you're lucky, you'll even see the fluffiest of all Pomeranians being pushed in a stroller. We did.