Dear Diary,
How cheesy is that? I guess it’s time to fill you in on what happened over the last 24 years…
Let’s start from the beginning.
Mom and Dad were super mad when they found out I was pregnant (unsurprisingly) but extremely supportive once the reality of them being grandparents set in. It helped that Jim and I had a solid plan going into it. We handled it like the adults we could be at the time and grew from the experience. I couldn’t have raised a more beautiful and kind daughter. She is exactly like her father, all fun and games until it’s time to be serious. She has my creative side and combining both has made it her mission to help others through art.
Jim and I were married in November of 1999. We’ve been together for 23 ½ years and every year seems to improve. We have our rocky times, but we always work through them. We’ve traveled together and made memories with our family throughout every trial we endured or fun event that went by too fast.
I did finish my degree. The money was not a waste and I learned so much about myself during that time. I went to school full-time and raised a child. It was the best and scariest time of my life, but I couldn’t have done it without my family. I ended up working sourcing art for local museums which blossomed into sourcing art for boutique galleries. It brings me joy when I find a new piece and it’s a never-ending treasure hunt.
Jim got a job offer right out of school and we moved to Austin, Texas as he started working at a small newspaper here. It wasn’t his dream job, but he turned it into one and turned the small group into one that has national attention. The place has Jim’s heart next to us. Austin fits our family so well. The vibrant and eclectic city never ceases to amaze us. From where we grew up to where we ended up…what a difference time makes.
When I reflect on my time growing up, I tend to focus on the negatives or the things that stressed me out the most. Keeping this diary and reading through it reminds me of a time before cell phones and daily updates. It helps me remember who I was before becoming who I am today. Frankly, I wish I’d had this diary as a guide when my eldest was a teenager. It probably would have eliminated many disagreements. I recall being so scared of the future at times and though I still can be, I try to look at the future as an unknown adventure. I don’t know what will happen when we get there, but the journey is the best part. My kids would tell me I was being too cheesy right now. Good thing they don’t know where I hid this! Ha!
I suppose it’s time to close this book once and for all. I do wish I’d kept up with it at the time, but that’s what my memory is for. Or at least until it starts to fade too.
Until we meet again,
Pam
