What I would tell her

This picture hangs in our bedroom right beside my side of the bed (it was originally my husbands side and then we switched) and almost every single night I stop for a few moments and just stare. Sometimes I'm thinking how thin I was and didn't realize it to appreciate it or trying to remember the last time I actually had a professional manicure but mostly as I stand there in my mismatched pajamas staring at the young woman I don't even recognize anymore I think about the things I would tell her if I had the chance. 

First I would tell her that those vows in all their beauty will be tested time and time again. There are days you will want to absolutely kill him and then he will make you laugh like only he can and you will remember why you fell in love with him. That your husband will slowly become the person you go to and whose opinion you value more than anyone else, even more than your Momma. Also, there will be times that you feel a million miles apart when you are sitting right next to each other but you always figure out a way to find each other again and it makes you stronger together. I would also tell her to notice the sacrifices that he makes just for your happiness and always appreciate how hard he works. To take the submissive thing a lot more serious and be his helper because as you will find, he is so much smarter than you give him credit for and God gave him an incredibly spot on gut instinct. Finally I would tell my younger self to enjoy the crazy twists and turns that marriage brings and trust in God a little sooner, that he brought you two together for a reason and that you make a pretty great team.  

I would tell myself that the best days are just around the corner but you may not see it that way for a little while. Parenting is hard, in a way that no one can prepare you for and it's only when you are in the trenches that all of those little pieces of advice that people gave you before you had kids make sense (mostly enjoy your sleep now) and all of the chaos is worth the kisses and "I love you Momma" at the end of the day. Your first will be the one that teaches you to stop being so selfish and then surprise you with the kindest heart ever placed in a human and the second will teach you to just go with it, not everything has to be perfect and life is a little more fun if you are laughing all the time, even if it's at the almost two year old who thinks it is cool to pull your shirt up in public and point to "baby!" In Momma's tummy. 

I would tell her than God gets you through the heartbreaks and there's a few but he never breaks his promises. Then to stop being so hard on yourself because life is so short and who really cares if your hair, nails and makeup are always just right or if your jeans are a little snug, you have to give yourself some grace and love yourself more. And finally I would tell her how lucky she is and what a blessed future God has in store for her and when she's 30 (gasp!) and looks back she will see that his hand was on her all along. 

But I guess we are never good at taking our own advice and hindsight is always 20/20.