what chapter am I in?

Marriages always make you think about yourself and your love life. Well, in my case, the lack there of. I will not bore you with the depressing thoughts of the single life because I can't bring myself to put unfavorable thoughts on paper when I am surrounded by a dream in reality. My mornings are sublime, complete with a host of waves crashing every other moment as I awaken to the ever-increasingly perfect sunrise waiting for me every morning.

I spend my time with children who are full of joy, intellect, charisma, and most certainly charm. I am close enough to walk to most everywhere I need to go. I have fresh basil and mint growing in my little garden. I live in a peaceful home with a peaceful family. I do have a private place to live, but it is always open for anyone in the house who wants to join me. I have the chance of a lifetime to affect this family. I am living a dream, so I have no excuse to be thinking otherwise, wedding or not.

I sat with friends of old today, reminiscing of the days when responsibility was imminent but still a sort of option, college was still in full swing, life still in the holding tank. The free-spirit mentality of us all has sent us to all corners of the world since then and through all kinds of trials. I am sure you remember the post-college, pre-real-world life you once enjoyed. Those were the days you spent trying to piece together your worldview, solidify your bank account and whatever debt you may or may not have incurred from college. There is a certain nostalgia tied to such epic adventures lived with overwhelming passion. Yet, as hindsight is always 20/20, you begin to see that every event and most ever person was just part of the chapter. They were part of the prologue to the rest of your life, an introduction with a magnificent setting and a blended cast of characters, some complex some simple. These people began a new book of my life, a book that tells the story of my quest for truth, my quest for His face. These people tossed me a rope as I was drowning in a pool of quicksand, forced me to stand up straight in the middle of the spotlight, taught me how to laugh with everything in my body and soul, waited for me to get it right after I made a mistake, picked up every piece of my sometimes shattered heart and showed me how to take the next step forward, expecting me to take it with confidence. These people introduced me to myself.
Now, I am in chapter two, a little further into the journey on a more clearly lit path. Running into people from chapter one was just a refreshing reminder that the story continues. The storms are not so heavy, the wind is not so strong, but the solace is continuously refreshing. I am still in the beginning, but the main characters of my story are more prominent here in chapter two.

Welcome to the rest of my life. It's going to be pretty good.