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| "Who me? But I'm Seven and Twenty!" |
"A woman of seven and twenty," said Marianne, after pausing a moment, "can never hope to feel or inspire affection again."
"Sense and Sensibility" - by Jane Austen
Relax, the above is intended as a dry, witty and sarcastic joke about my age. Times and society have changed to such a pitch that even though Jane Austen frequently proclaims 27 to be the year where nothing exciting can ever happen to you again, there is still hope. After all, there is really nothing to be done about getting older, one must accept it and hope only to age well.
I am convinced that Jane Austen, herself, did not believe in hopeless situations. I've been rereading her work lately, or for the most part experiencing it for the first time. There are always several agonizing chapters near the end where I am perfectly convinced that there is no hope for the hero and heroine to be together. Circumstances are always against them. Yet somehow through a long night's journey into day they find their way to be together! It's amazing.
It is in these hopeless chapters that the main character comes to truly know themselves. The more dramatic example is that of Elizabeth Bennet in "Pride and Prejudice" who, with a suddenness born on gradual understanding, comes to find that she has been blind to the merit of Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy, whom every woman who has ever read or watched "Pride and Prejudice" is madly in love with. Shall wonders never cease? Yet, Jane Austen somehow finds a way to fool all of us for 3/4 of the book into agreeing with Elizabeth. Artful indeed.
So, what is the point here? You thought I was going to be writing about my birthday. After all, I as much assured you that this would be a birthday post from the title. Here is what re-reading Jane Austen has taught me leading into my birthday: to be thankful. To be thankful that my mother is not silly (Pride and Prejudice), that my father is not vain (Persuasion), that my sisters are not foolish (Pride and Prejudice), and that my brothers are generous (Sense and Sensibility). Thankful for the accomplishments that are to my credit and for the defects that I am always striving to correct. I am thankful for all of the women, whom I call best in my life, those friends who comfort me in every situation of my life. Among those women I am most thankful for my roommate, who by laughing at my follies helps me to step past them. As most of last year was spent recovering from whip-lash I am also extremely grateful that I have turned a corner and once again enjoy excellent health.
The greatest light of my life is that God has given me the grace to be faithful. I learn so much every day in how giving and generous He is in all things. He is the greatest reason that there is hope for this seemingly hopeless twenty-seven year old.
