First (and Only?) Soapbox: On Being Single

Generally, I don't/won't post a soapbox kind of entry on this blog and I kind of hope I don't do it.... truly (since I don't consider this a true soapbox)... again. But, since I view this blog as a kind of journal (in a public sort of way :o)) and because I intend to publish it in a book and keep it for my posterity, I want my posterity to know I was happy during my single years. I have not and intend to never sit on my "hope chest" and wait for my life to begin by way of getting married. I do know for a fact that I will marry someday and I do hope for that - hence the comments about my posterity... :o). But anyways... I just read the most amazing blog entry posted by one of my good friends (which spurred this entry on my blog). I hope she won't mind, but I want to quote some of her entry right here on my blog just because I couldn't agree more and describe it any better. You can see her full entry here.

my life is the way it is. i have done so many great things with the opportunities that i have had. i'm not unhappy. i choose not to be. and it *is* my choice. i find joy in the experiences i have had and in the ones i look forward to.

i'm not saying that i am glad that i haven't gotten married yet "because it has given me the opportunity to have the experiences i have had". i don't say that because there is no comparison -- there is no conceivable way to compare my life to the one i could have had if i were married already.

which thought reminds me of a question i got many times as a kid: "so do you like having your birthday right before Christmas?" well ... my response: "do you like having yours *not* right before Christmas?" how do you answer that? have you known it any other way? or, another frequent question: "did you like moving around a lot as a kid?" well, "did you like living in one house the whole time you grew up?" can you really form a like/dislike opinion about something for which you have no basis of comparison? do you really know if you like chocolate if you haven't tried vanilla? like/dislike is a relative measure.

...

i wouldn't trade my life for any other, not because "i *love* my life" and "i wouldn't trade it for any other" ... but quite simply because i *can't*: i *can't* trade it for any other. my life is a blessing that Heavenly Father gave *to me*; it is *for me*. i am not bound to try and "return" such a gift. and i am not going to let Satan or anyone try to convince me that it isn't the "right" gift ... it's *my* gift ... from the One that knows and loves me the most.