Nineteen Years

We watched Endeavour take off for it's final mission today.  I haven't watched a lift-off in years but this one was special because Endeavour landed it's first mission on this day 19 years ago.  

We were only 20 years old in this picture.  And yes, this is about as artistic as a wedding photo could get back then.  As I pulled these pictures out today I had very mixed feelings.  I hadn't looked at them in five years or so.  So many people are gone that are in those photos.  Gone, passed away gone, and gone through divorce gone.  Sorry I know that's a depressing thought on one's anniversary but if I'm being honest and that's what one does when blogging, those were my thoughts.  Real life is real hard, everybody knows that by now I think.  

These kids had a lot going for them though.  They knew going in that they would never be rich, their lives probably wouldn't be very conventional,  the path would be narrow and sometimes difficult to navigate and most importantly they knew that they weren't doing it alone.  The plan was God's plan, find it, follow it and live in it.  Pretty simple.  Not as simple as first thought, but conceptually still simple.  What advise would I give those 20 year olds?  Hang on, remember, work hard, keep your head up, be ready, be happy and live:)