{ thankful thursday : weird friends }

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I’m 24-years-old. I’ve been married for almost three years. 

I have an 18-month-old. I’m pregnant with my second.

We believe in God. 

We go to church every Sunday, sometimes more often. 

We (try to) take prayer time during the day. 

We pray before every meal and before bed.

We pray before meals at restaurants. (gasp!)

Around here, these things and more make us a little bit  a lotta bit different than people in our area.

I know we’re unusual. I know our lifestyle of choice is perceived as antiquated.

The fact that we willingly choose to live this way is just weird.

Yet earlier this week I realized how “not-weird” 

I feel because there are tons of "weird" lovely people around us.

On Tuesday morning I found myself in a room with six other women.

Our children, a combined sum of 15 all under the age of seven,

played outside while two of the older kids kept an eye on them.

I hadn’t seen the group since our baby #2 announcement so

they asked about how I’m feeling and how Phil & Jake are doing.

What our plans are for when the baby comes…

I talked and they listened. Because they know what it’s like.

They know what it’s like to be young and married and pregnant

and get funny looks wherever you go, even from family.

I know they know what it’s like to feel “different.”

As I was talking to them my mind wandered into thoughts

of how lucky we are to have people around us

who support and share our lifestyle.

I got a surge of gratefulness for the fact that 

I don’t have to feel so peculiar when I’m with them. 

I’m happy to feel normal. Regular. Average.

I think it would be so difficult to live the way we choose to live if we had to do it alone. 

That’s why I’m glad we don’t have to.

linking up with a punk a pumpkin and a peanut