"Life happens while you're busy making [other] plans." John Lennon
I like to think that I'm fairly laid back and flexible. If something doesn't work out the way I thought it would, there is always a back up that is just as good, if not better.
Since I was in Kindergarten I have always wanted to be a teacher. At first it was to be a Kindergarten teacher, but in the end I became a high school teacher. That was plan b. For a while my plan was to move to Kansas City to teach, but I decided to get out of Kansas and see what else was out there. Arizona is where I ended up living for the last three and a half years. That was plan b. Last year at my best friend's New Years Eve bash I met a guy that I thought was going to be just a friend, but he's turned out to be the love of my life. That was plan b. Recently I've informed my boss and a few colleagues that I will be moving back to Kansas City, but I won't be entering the work force as a teacher. That is plan b. This past Friday night I was planning a quiet night at home with a good book or a "Gilmore Girls" DVD for the billionth time, but my pipes broke and I had a mess to clean up. That was plan b.
What I've noticed is that most of the plan b's that have happened in my life turn out to be better than what I had originally planned. I never would have imagined that my life in Arizona would have been as tough or as rewarding as it's been, but I'm thankful that I was even given the opportunity in the first place. The same could be said for my relationship with Josh. I was going to sell both of us short by choosing to be just friends because I was scared of a long-distance relationship, but it's turned into something I never could have dreamed.
While most of my plan a's were okay and plan b's turned out better, sometimes these sort of things aren't ideal. For example, you envision a life with children and a happy home--plan a. Unfortunately, for one reason or another it doesn't happen and you have to accept that--plan b. Expecting to marry a person and live happily ever after--plan a. Divorce or death can happen and you're left on your own (so to speak)--plan b. There is nothing that can be certain in this life. Refusing to be flexible, to let life happen, to roll with the punches, can break an individual. Choosing to look on the bright side, to be optimistic about an outcome--whatever it may be--is what will save you, your sanity, and your relationships. This can be made even easier when surrounded by a strong support system of people.
I feel so incredibly blessed to have people in my life who support me, respect me, and help me. My support system of family, Josh, friends, and colleagues have helped me to realize that it's okay to move back home after being gone for three and a half years, that it's okay to not be a teacher even though that's what I went to school for, that it's okay to give that relationship a shot even though you're terrified of long-distance relationships, that's okay if things don't work out the way you originally planned--because it usually leads to something greater.
"You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometime, you just might find, you get what you need." Mick Jagger.
I'm glad I didn't get what I wanted, but that I got exactly what I needed.
