It is 7:15 A.M on a Friday morning in October, 2035. I sit up in bed, grab a cozy blanket, and step out on my bedroom balcony for just a few minutes to appreciate the strikingly beautiful, autumn leaves being brought to life by the sun shining down over our large, yet small, cozy home in Pennsylvania. Heading downstairs, I prepare to make a special, pre-weekend breakfast for my eight year old and my five year old—of course including their favorite cheesy, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and mini pancakes, with a glass of milk. “Kids, breakfast is ready!” As they arrive at the table, their faces light up and they seem more excited than ever to indulge in what I’ve prepared for them. Quickly consuming everything on their plate, shocking, they run back upstairs to kiss their father goodbye before I take them to school. Back to the house I go to shower and get ready for work; today is my last work day of the week and I could not be more relieved. 

As a physical therapist who has the opportunity to work with children, both disabled and fully functioning, along with athletes, the days can become very busy and feel even longer than my eight hour shift, but there is nothing else I would want to do. Before I leave, I take the time to go remind my husband that he has to be at work for 10:30. Of course he nods and ensures that he is waking up when I head out the door, and while I know this will not be the case, I ignore it and give him one last kiss and an “I love you”.

I have come to enjoy my daily routine, and at 35 years old I am loving everything about my life. I have the job I have always dreamed of, I have traveled to Bali and New Zealand among other places, I am married to the man I have been with for 17 years, and we have two creative, smart, free spirited children. 

“When you solve for a missing variable using the ideal gas law…” my chemistry professor explains yet another irrelevant problem that will have no impact on most of our futures, and we’re back to the present.

Nothing I have just said is my current reality. I am a freshman in college with an exercise science major, who thought she knew exactly what she wanted to do. Quite regularly, I find myself trying to figure out what the best path will be, and where I will end up.

The cliche saying “making a mountain out of a molehill” probably describes me best, and while I often become unnecessarily stressed and question things, there are also things I am sure of; I will study abroad, I will graduate in May of 2023 with a degree earning me a career, I will travel and gain new experiences, and I will marry the current love of my life. 

Life possesses a lot of things; laughs, tears, adventures, disappointment, different people, and once in a lifetime opportunities. The point is, everything will fall into place. I am a very strong believer that everything happens for a reason, and while I may not know every specific detail about what’s ahead, I have a general idea and that is good enough. 

By: Toni Abdy