25 years.

I had plans of posting about being a stay at home mom today. Heck, I even started writing and then the phone rang. It was my momma with a "funny tidbit." She went on to say.. "today would have been mine and your father's 25th wedding anniversary."

My first thought was, "wow. 25 years huh? You dodged a bullet there."
My second thought was, "wow. 25 years."

You will not often hear {uh, read} me speak of my biological father. Due to many of his choices I have chosen to not allow him to be a part of my life. I.simply.can't.do.it. But today I feel compelled to purge.
To give you a little background he and my mother were married July 12, 1986. He joined the military 6 months later.  I was born 13 months after they were married on August 18, 1987, he wasn't there. They officially separated in November 1987. The divorce was final in spring of 1988. He and I never lived in the same house while they were married. He never changed a diaper. And there were certainly no night time feedings. I saw him only a handful of times throughout my childhood. I remember sitting in the kitchen floor, crying, asking my mom why "my daddy didn't want to be my daddy." I felt so abandoned by him, so unwanted.

Fast forward a couple of decades -- and here I am. A married, 23 year old mommy to a wonderful little girl. It may sound odd- but I am glad that they divorced. I'm thankful that he was not a bigger part of my life. I was blessed with an amazing grandfather that was all the "daddy" I will ever need. But for some reason I can't get past that "25 years." A quarter of a century, their silver anniversary.

What if they had stayed together. My life would be drastically different. My marriage would be different. I would be different. Heaven only knows who I would be. So I guess what I want to take away from today is that even though my parent's divorce may not have been ideal. It was all part of His plan, a plan that molded me to the woman, wife and mother that I am today.