The future

For some reason, today on my way home for lunch I was imagining what my life might be like at different points in the future. Where Nathan and I will be, what kind of house we'll have, how many kids, what I'll be doing, etc. I think part of what prompts this thinking in my mind is admiring all the nice houses along upper Santa Barbara and Anacapa Streets that I see every day on my way to and from work.

I wonder what difficulties we've gone through at those specific times and what twists and turns we've navigated. I wonder what our kids will be like, what our careers and hobbies will be and how much they will overlap. It's interesting to think about.

5 years

Nathan and I are most likely still in the Bay Area, although we could be anywhere at this point. We've had one kid and are either considering TTC for #2 or I'm already pregnant with #2. Nathan's got a good job as a sound tech and has an album or two out of his own stuff. He's learned to produce his music live and does some occasional shows. We're saving up for our first home, or for a bigger one if we purchased a "starter". I'm a stay-at-home mom, but I've got an album or two circulating and play some local shows in the Bay Area. I might be on a break from playing shows, though, depending on whether I'm pregnant and how far along. We have a *real* piano and I am continually writing songs, whether or not I'm performing at that point. I might teach voice lessons on the side.

We're connected to a church community and I lead or sing in the worship ministry and Nathan leads or helps the audio team. We frequently have people over to our home for Bible studies, dinners, and just to hang out.


10 Years

The kids are in school during the day (with maybe one preschooler at home), so I'm able to focus on writing more music and performing. I might even occasionally go on small tours, but my first priority is my family. I might still be, or start, teaching voice lessons.

We've definitely purchased a home at this point, or are renting a nice one if the area is more expensive.

Nathan is well-established in his career and is continually doing new and creative things. He sometimes does tours doing live versions of his music.

30 years

Our kids are out of college and off on their own (the eldest would be about 26). Maybe a couple are married, or in serious relationships. We might even have a grandkid or two (now that's a weird thought!). We're very active in our church and mentor young couples who are engaged, or are seriously thinking about engagement. Our home is open to people who need a place to stay and we frequently have people over just to love them and encourage them.

Our musical creativity is still alive and well and we've collaborated on a few projects together - maybe even toured together. We might not be monetarily rich, but we've gained a lot of richness in other areas of our lives and we've given to other people, most importantly in terms of time and energy.

Hopefully others will see us as people they can go to when they need encouragement or wisdom, as people who love others sacrificially, as people who follow Jesus with all their hearts and have shown it in their actions. Hopefully others will see us as examples to follow - in our relationships with God, in our marriage, in the way we've raised our kids, and in our relationships with others.

We'll still have a lot of life ahead of us, and new or renewed dreams and pursuits, but all of it will be covered with the maturity we've gained through God's work in our lives.