reflections on changes

I'm in the midst of doing late summer/early fall 'harvesting'. I've been working at doing things with my garden produce, which is rather plentiful, and other fruits/veggies on hand. I'm freezing 20 pounds of peaches tomorrow, and need to grate up yet another mammoth zucchini for the freezer. Today, I baked bread and cookies for Isaac's lunch box.

Such a change from when Rob and I married. Back then, I wasn't much of a cook at all. I could do basics - spaghetti, lasagna, hamburger helper. I didn't really have the ease in the kitchen that I now do. It's really easy for me to whip up something tasty, easy and healthy without much effort. I make my own pizza crust because I prefer it to store bought, not just for economic reasons. I prefer homemade bread to store bought. I'm doing things I never imagined I would be, and enjoying them.

Beyond just food though (although food is great!), I feel that I've changed so much over the last 10 years or so. I'm more confident about some things, less stressed about others. More capable at a lot of things, yet need to show the world my abilities less than I used to...I'm less demanding of the spotlight and attention. I guess in some ways I'm more grown up, more myself than I used to be.

Being a mom was a huge contributing factor to change, naturally. It's actually sad that there are parenting philosophies out there that promote the idea that parenting doesn't change you. It does - it needs to change you. Becoming a mother has changed so much of my heart and my mind, I can't imagine liking myself as much if I hadn't gone through the changes of parenthood. Not to say that non-parents aren't likeable ;) but that *I* really appreciate the refining and changing that being a mom has brought into my life. I do like parts of myself more...and am so much more aware of the parts that aren't so great - it's hard to hide those bits when dealing with small children all day. I'm rather aware of my shortcomings...which is also a good thing. Make them easier to reflect on, work on and deal with when you can't hide them as easily.

It just makes me wonder how much more change I will go through in the next 10 years. How much more different aspects of my personality will look in a decade or two. What events life will throw at me that will bring about change, facilitate change, or even force it.

I wonder how much the people around me have changed, would I see it in them like I see it in myself? Would they see it in me?

Have *you* changed? What brought change into your life?