Commitment
When I started dating Jia Wern at the young age of 17, my mum was concerned that I hadn't lived enough of my life as a single lady yet. When I got married at the age of 23, my (Chinese) friends were incredulous. Most don't see marriage in the near future yet. When I decided to put my career on hold to move to the States to join my husband, many questioned if I was making the right move. After all, the typical Asian mentality is to "finish your studies, get a good job, save up and THEN get married and have kids".
I apologize for the mental agony I put all of you well-meaning folks through. =P
Yes, I have definitely missed out on being single and free to travel, but guess what? I don't miss being single, and I detest travelling anyway (I know this opinion is going to make me very unpopular with the hip crowd, but whatever). I don't regret getting tied down at all! I love the commitment, responsibility and stability of being married. And I'm not being biased - it's always been a part of my personality to seek out stability and serve a purpose greater than myself. Being married gives me the opportunity to care for and serve someone else, and I thrive on that. God made me this way and I am in my element, even though this concept may be unfathomable to people wired differently from me.
Which brings me to the real topic for today's post : I'm hoping to get a dog. (Cue: aghast expressions and shocked whispers as I take yet another step towards auntiehood.)
For the past few weeks, I've been considering adopting one from the shelter. I had many reservations, though : What would happen to the dog when we left? Would our travel plans suffer? Can we afford it? Would it be unwise to tie myself down with yet another commitment? Should I use this time in the States before we have kids to fully enjoy my freedom instead?
As I pondered these questions and consulted friends, I gradually realized that I didn't really plan to travel much anyway, and am still mostly housebound even though I have my activities. A dog would be a big commitment, but it would be also a lovely addition to our home. And did I already mention I thrive on commitment? Furthermore, a friend offered to take over the ownership of the dog when we eventually leave the States, so that put my mind at ease. The last thing I want to do is to abandon my dog after giving it a home.
I actually had my sights set on a dog at the shelter where I volunteer once a week, but it had already been adopted by someone else by the time we asked about it. That was a huge disappointment, but at least now we know we're ready for a dog after all that mental preparation. Whether or not we get a dog still depends on God's leading and timing. I don't know for sure if it will be a good decision, so I'm praying that God will lead us to the right dog under the right circumstances if it's His will for us. Otherwise, we'll just enjoy our freedom until the time comes. =)
I apologize for the mental agony I put all of you well-meaning folks through. =P
Yes, I have definitely missed out on being single and free to travel, but guess what? I don't miss being single, and I detest travelling anyway (I know this opinion is going to make me very unpopular with the hip crowd, but whatever). I don't regret getting tied down at all! I love the commitment, responsibility and stability of being married. And I'm not being biased - it's always been a part of my personality to seek out stability and serve a purpose greater than myself. Being married gives me the opportunity to care for and serve someone else, and I thrive on that. God made me this way and I am in my element, even though this concept may be unfathomable to people wired differently from me.
Which brings me to the real topic for today's post : I'm hoping to get a dog. (Cue: aghast expressions and shocked whispers as I take yet another step towards auntiehood.)
For the past few weeks, I've been considering adopting one from the shelter. I had many reservations, though : What would happen to the dog when we left? Would our travel plans suffer? Can we afford it? Would it be unwise to tie myself down with yet another commitment? Should I use this time in the States before we have kids to fully enjoy my freedom instead?
As I pondered these questions and consulted friends, I gradually realized that I didn't really plan to travel much anyway, and am still mostly housebound even though I have my activities. A dog would be a big commitment, but it would be also a lovely addition to our home. And did I already mention I thrive on commitment? Furthermore, a friend offered to take over the ownership of the dog when we eventually leave the States, so that put my mind at ease. The last thing I want to do is to abandon my dog after giving it a home.
I actually had my sights set on a dog at the shelter where I volunteer once a week, but it had already been adopted by someone else by the time we asked about it. That was a huge disappointment, but at least now we know we're ready for a dog after all that mental preparation. Whether or not we get a dog still depends on God's leading and timing. I don't know for sure if it will be a good decision, so I'm praying that God will lead us to the right dog under the right circumstances if it's His will for us. Otherwise, we'll just enjoy our freedom until the time comes. =)
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