New Chapters Call for New... Blogs!

It's a bit cliche, but a new life chapter calls for something new, right? So... why not make it a blog!

It's very surreal for me to come to the realization that motherhood -- as I've known it for 24 years -- has drawn to a close. My kids are grown. My child-raising days are done.

For the first time in my 40-something years, I live alone. No mother. No siblings. No roommates. No kids. No pets. Just... me.

My son's been on his own for about 5 years and now, my baby girl is all grown up and, essentially, not living at home anymore either. Well, yes, most of her stuff is still here so I guess it's not 'official' official, but it's headed that way. She hasn't spent a night at home in nearly a week. She's been independent and doing her own thing for almost a year, now; I've just been lucky enough to still be part of her day-to-day events.

Motherhood: what an bittersweet endeavor! This amazing little human comes into your life. Innocent. Unadulterated. Pure. Malleable. Trusting. And you get to do with it whatever you want. You get to guide and form this little person into who they will be for the rest of their lives. Such a powerful responsibility!

So, you spend nearly 20 years guiding, teaching, influencing this little person who becomes an adult. If you've done a good job -- as I think I have -- you're blessed to find you have raised two of the most wonderful people you could ask for. They're kind. They're loving. They're self-sufficient. They're productive members of society. They make (mostly) good choices.

Then, suddenly -- almost as if flipping a switch -- you're done. It's over. Yesterday, you were a mom making sure they had meals, clean clothes, all their needs met and today you only have to worry about yourself. Nobody needs you to plan or make dinner. Nobody needs you to go to the grocery store. Nobody needs you to make sure they're home safe. Nobody needs you. It's very surreal.

Now, it's time to move on to the next phase in life: Getting to know myself better. Instead of being handed a tiny human who's innocent, pure, and trusting, I get to learn about a big human who's fairly jaded and cynical. Oh, lawd! This may prove to be more difficult than motherhood! haha!

Here's to a new chapter. A new adventure. And the best part is that, even though my kids don't need me, they still want me in their lives. That's the best gift a mother could ever hope for.

Onward and upward...