Some things just require hands on learning.

 

This picture came up on my phone today.  So, many memories flooded back to me.  I don't know the exact date this was taken, sometime in April 2020.  It was at our wedding shower, that had to be changed to immediate family only because of covid.  

To me, we look so young, but in reality it was only four years ago and we weren't that young.  I was 33, Brandon 37.  But we didn't really understand the complexities that this life we were choosing was about to throw at us.  Sure, we "knew" but we didn't actually KNOW. We had read all the books, listened to all the podcasts, had ALL the conversations with EVERYONE, yet we still weren't prepared.  Some things in life just require hands on learning.

Stepparenting is one of those things.  You can only be as prepared as the experiences you have.  Yes, the books, podcasts, and conversations helped a ton, but it didn't give us real life experiences. We knew how to handle this life better because of those things, but until we lived it, just didn't know what to expect. 

So, maybe 2020 wasn't that long ago, but to me it feels like a lifetime because of the grown and maturity we have gained in these last four years.