"That Age"

i went home this past weekend, and it was so relaxing and happy. i never say this about my trips home, but a lot has changed in the last year. now that i am able to travel from my apartment (d.c.) to my home (n.c.) at my own discretion, my relationship with my parents has gotten a lot better. they were so happy to see my sister and me last friday, and it set the tone for the rest of the visit. as we sat outside in the backyard eating lunch on the patio furniture, my mother asked me if i needed her help in finding a man because she's getting older and she needs grandkids. while i'm sure she was kidding, there is a lot of truth in gest, and it made me slightly uncomfortable. a relationship is one of the top items on the long list that is my mind. i think about it constantly, and her poking and prodding at me doesn't help. is it weird that i think i know who my husband should be, and not in some stalker-type way either? we're not together, nor have we ever been, but he's the only person that i know that i have pictured married-life with. i'm trying to be patient, to just sit back and let the man that God has hand-picked for me to find me, but a very small hidden spot in my heart aches every time i see a couple kiss, or hug, or walk holding hands. i want that...and i know it will happen, but when??
i guess the fact that my mother is getting bolder with her "find you a man" comments, which used to be limited to phone calls or girl talk, only further proves that i'm reaching "that age" where settling down and starting a family is supposed to happen. hopefully i won't look back on this post 5 years from now with the same question of when??