I was on my way to pick up N from preschool this afternoon when I got caught at a stoplight I never get caught at.  I was casually enjoying a tune on K-LOVE and noticed my music was being drowned out by some loud, seemingly obnoxious music.  I looked over to my right and saw two cute teen girls so properly poised in their little blue Mazda convertible with the top down. 

I of course turned my music down in an attempt to figure out what they were jammin’ to.  After all, I love hip-hop just as much as the next hip mom.  No dice.  I didn’t recognize the song.  The gals looked over at me with a look that said, “yeah, whatever, lady – you don’t like our loud music?  Like get over it!”  I’m sure they presumed I was irritated at their loud music and would have never mistaken me for being cool like them since I was in my mom clothes and driving a very suburban-mom-like SUV.  I can’t blame them for passing judgement on me.

It’s funny, but as I sat at that light my entire teenage years flashed before me.  Where had the time gone?  I remember being on the THAT side of the road before, peering over at some mom sitting in her car listening to her (probably) very boring music and thinking I would NEVER let myself become uncool when I became a mom.  Everything my life was consumed with at that time in my life was SO insignificant compared to what is important in my life now.  I sat at the stoplight and felt for a moment like I could’ve rolled down my window and shouted out, “no, girls, really – I’m NOT like just an ordinary mom!  I AM cool, I DO still listen to hip-hop and care about fashion and trends!  I GET IT!  Don’t sit there in your cute little convertible with your cute little brunette ponytails and think you won’t be here too one day!”

As I sat thinking back to being about their age, I could have never imagined my life then as it is now.  Happily married to a wonderful man, the mother of two insanely smart and handsome sons, and joyously expecting my third child.  It was so surreal to me to sit at that stoplight and wonder how this all happened.  I know that I’ve evolved into the person I am today but it’s so natural, how has it NOT always been this way?  I can hardly remember my life outside of what it is now.  It’s funny how you grow and change as a person but don’t ever see it happening. 

I chuckled at the thoughts I had while sitting at that light because it was such a metaphor for all the thoughts going through my head.  It’s like you sit at this stoplight of life waiting for the next phase in your life and when the light turns green and you proceed, you can’t even remember what life was like while you were waiting at that light or what it was before you got there.  ♥