things have been happening lately that haven't happened before. i wouldn't quite describe myself as "maternal" or "nurturing," but the thought of being a mother has been floating through my mind a bit. i guess it was bound to happen at some point since i started working with kids. but with that comes the whole picture...the husband, the family, the home. that's a picture i'm not quite ready too frame and hang on my wall. but people around me-- around my age are getting married and having children or certainly driving toward that goal at a steady pace. i, on the other hand, can barely see myself in a relationship. on top of that, i have a long way to go until i graduate and get that career under my belt. my cousin is a year ahead of me in graduate school and she's trying to get engaged and start a family asap. i kind of always thought we'd have kids around the same time but it sure doesn't look that way now. i don't really like to think about these things in case it doesn't happen and it's okay if it doesn't. i'm ready to accept the fact that it's not for everyone but i still think i'd be a great mom...still weird to think about me taking on that title. i think i feel a lot younger than i actually am. i feel my age in terms of maturity but in terms of life goals (ie. marriage, family, career), i feel about 19. a lot of people i know are getting married/engaged before they establish themselves but i don't see that happening for me. i'd have to be well established in my career and everything. so i know it won't be something in the very-near future. besides, i'd have to know the guy a few years before marriage and the only guys i've known that long are my friends. i don't know...marriage and family is so much more than eating breakfast together. there's a lot of responsibility and commitment. maybe it won't be as intimidating when i find the right person.