Community, Anniversaries & Absence: Where are the young people?

My husband and I had the great opportunity to celebrate the 25^th wedding anniversary of our Pastor and his wife this past weekend. The celebration was a laid-back affair with cake and coffee, some fun guessing games, and a dance. My husband and I did get at least one dance in, something we rarely ever do.

The following day I was thinking about the event and realized that my husband and I were one of only a few younger couples. The majority of the attendees were older, near retirement, or retired individuals and couples, particularly the attendees that weren’t family members. The realization had me wondering where were all the 30-40-year-old couples and their family.

Now, first, this post isn’t to judge anyone in particular or even groups of people, but rather to ask a legitimate question, what are we doing with our time that we aren’t present at celebrations like this one? I get that it is the end of summer, and there are very few Saturday nights free before school starts for the kiddos. I also get that events like that are full of people you don’t know. I also get that my husband and I are unique because we are in our mid-40s and already empty nesters, so it may be easier for us to make a Saturday night event.

My main point is that I’m not certain when we all became so busy that we don’t have time for community and celebration. When I was younger, these were no-brainers—you went. Nowadays, 25 years is a feat and should be celebrated with immense joy and honor. Why are we so absent in each other’s lives? Why are we so tired that a Saturday night out sounds like torture? What are we doing?

I’m praying about this very thing. I would love to hear your perspectives before I write a follow-up post. Please feel free to comment below or emails us at rhubarbandrubbish@outlook.com.

Contributed by Liz Hunt