25 Days: Embracing the Crisis

The whole idea behind these series of posts was birthed out of a conversation I was having with my friend-quasi-mentor Laura. We were discussing my upcoming birthday and my reservations with it. Why it was bugging me to be 25 and all of that. What she said to me took me by surprise but the more I thought about it, the more truth I began to see in it.

“Crystal, you’re totally experiencing your mid-life crisis at 25.”

We began to dissect this apart just a bit, to elaborate on what she meant. You see, I have already experienced a kind of personal pain, triumph, disappointment, immense joy and immense sadness—that most at 25 haven’t even begun to touch. Have grown into an old soul, so to speak. And because of that, I created for myself expectations, in order to survive what life threw at me, whatever it would be. I had placed on myself expectations about where I’d be, what I’d accomplish and what I’d have by a given age.

And that age is 25. Because my life doesn’t necessarily reflect those pre-expectations: in my mind, I’ve failed. Period.

However, I certainly am somewhere and have accomplished things—so I need to see those things as not in vain but as a part of who I am. I’m embracing this present crisis as a point in my life to evaluate where I’ve been and where I am. And even embrace my short-comings and unmet expectations. This isn’t a mid-life crisis, but it is recreation time. Time to recreate my expectations—or to just blow them up completely.

The next few posts will discuss these expectations of where I thought I’d be. Stay tuned.

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I thought this cartoon was fitting and was inspiration for this post:

recreation1

By Crystal Renaud

Crystal Renaud is the Founder & Executive Director of WHOLE Women Ministries whose projects include Dirty Girls Ministries and WHOLE Women’s Conference. She is also the author of Dirty Girls Come Clean (Moody Publishers), a speaker and student who lives in the Kansas City area. Follow @crystalrenaud on Twitter and visit her website for info on coaching and speaking at http://crystalrenaud.com.

0 comments

  1. Speaking of recreation…25 was the age I began the battle to be rid of the homosexuality lies. It took a year.

    Not that you should read anything in to that timeline. :)

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  2. Crystal, by far I would have to say that 25 was my most difficult birthday. I looked at my life and thought “I should have accomplished more” I wanted to married, have a career, be done having children and own a house. None of that was, until after my 25th. Actually much of it happened during my 25th year.

    Hahaha! Captcha: anybody 30

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  3. i say quarter life crisis. =] coz mid life is kinda awkward to listen to…it’s like she’s saying you’re only gonna live to 50. atleast quarter life means i’m saying you’ll live to 100. ;)

    loved the captcha on jasmin’s comment. to answer that question… i am ;) LOL

    [Reply]

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