Planning is core to my DNA. I plan my social calendar weeks in advance. I pay my bills 2 days before the due date. It’s not even the end of February, and I’m already planning my 4th of July party. On date night with my husband, I like to talk about our plans for the future – 5, 10, 15 years out (I promise, I’m a fun date).
My husband and I are expecting our first baby, a boy, due March 21st. I assumed, being that this is the first baby, and knowing that both his father and I were tardy babies, he’s bound to be a little late. I have my maternity leave plans in place for the end of March; my to-do list from now until then is curated week by week.
But you know the expression, “We plan, God laughs.” Boy, is He laughing right now, because we recently learned that our baby is arriving early – 3 weeks early to be exact. I thought I had another month, but no such luck. Baby Simpson is making his debut this weekend.
After adjusting to the shock, I admitted defeat and called in the cavalry (i.e., my mother, my family, my co-workers). Together with my trusted advisors, we created a new plan and are rolling with the punches. Life is a journey and the unexpected can derail the most carefully crafted plans. But with the right help, new plans can emerge, and those derailments are just plot-twists – not always fun to experience, but they make good stories in the end.
In the next coming months, I’ll be adjusting to life with a baby. But I do plan on being back this summer…unless God laughs again.