I’m writing this post as I sit on my comfy leather couch for the first time since moving into my new place. Sitting hasn’t been on the agenda as of late. I’ve been slowly moving since last Wednesday. We’re not closing on our old house until this Friday, so I have the luxury (or curse?) of time on my side.
We’ve got all the big stuff in our new house though. It’s really just small odds and ends and cleaning up the old house before saying goodbye to it. Bittersweet, I suppose, but I love my new place. It’s a much more manageable size for me and my boys, and we’ve got a playground that’s typically full of kids just steps from our backyard.
In the past few weeks, I’ve packed up my big old house, finalized a divorce, acknowledged what would have been my “firstborn’s” fourteenth birthday and an almost 14 year wedding anniversary, and moved into my new normal.
Who am I kidding? I am still moving into my new normal. And I’m enjoying every moment. Because even when the stress piles on and the to do list seems like it has no end, life is still pretty darn good.
Sometimes you have to just stop and breathe. Or maybe just take off for a few days and meet up with some good bloggy friends and their kids. While I should have been packing, it was worth it to meet up with people whom I had only (with the exception of a quick meeting at BlogHer in Chicago) corresponded with online. And when we met in person, it was if we had known each other for years.
Of course, I couldn’t let summer go by without letting Biz ride on his very first big roller coaster. While I stood mildly terrified on the ground, he just made the height requirement. Had he worn different shoes, it might have been a different story.
It pays to stop for some fun every now and then.
During the chaos, I was also tagged on Facebook to do a five day gratitude challenge. While I’m not big on those type of challenges, I figured it was a good week to acknowledge my gratitude publicly. Gratitude is good for the soul after all.
Since last week was a blur, I decided to take a look at what I shared:
- My two amazing boys, who will always be my #1
- My inner strength, which has taken me further than I ever thought possible
- Those people in my life who “get it” (and still stick around even when they don’t)
- My furry boy, Kailua, who still gets mistaken for a puppy even though he’s 11
- Meaningful words and actions
- Knowing what happiness means for me
- Adventures new and old
- A big, comfy king-sized bed
- Good wine after a long day of shlepping boxes
- The ability to work for myself and follow my dreams
- Big opportunities
- Secret, non-judgmental Facebook groups with sinister hashtags
- Freedom
- Good, supportive friends near and far
- The amazing view from the high road
I’d say the list is pretty accurate.
While my brain continues to go in all directions, I am starting to settle down. And still stopping for fun every now and then. I’ll be back reading blogs and responding to your wonderful comments. I’ve missed you all this past week.
