My mind is a bit scattered today-therefore my blog will
reflect that.
First things first. Everyone looks better with a tan. And
additionally I think blonds have more fun. Before my vacation, I started
feeling a little down on a few things about myself-I felt rather blah. Two body
parts in particular were really getting on my nerves. Well right before the
cruise I go to the hairdresser and get my highlights done and go back to my
usual spring/summer blond and caramel and then get a great tan on the cruise
and all the sudden I feel great again!
The two body parts not only don’t bother me this week-but
a handful of people have actually complimented me on these body parts (I work
in pharma remember-very open environment!) It’s as if my blond hair and tan (which has been kept up
by a little spray in fact) have accentuated my other parts. So tans and
blondness are good.
Which the real morale of the story which has nothing to do of course with skin or hair is: If you feel down on something in your life-spruce up another part. Accentuate your positives that you do have and don't focus on what you don't have
Let’s move on to toothbrushes. At my cottage last night I
brushed my teeth in the kid’s bathroom and we each have labelled toothbrushes.
I had asked my son a few months ago to change and label all the toothbrushes; I
searched and searched for mine…where was it? Then I found it...an old BUZZ
LIGHTYEAR small one for infants!!!!! That is supposed to be mine??? How bloody
old is that thing? Then I look at his-Bear's..and it is a purple one for
adults..how fair is that?
And marriage. My hubby and I had a lovely alone night
last night here at Trent. My mom is babysitting the boys and my daughter is at
my friend’s house for the weekend who has an adorable 4 yr. old girl. What
rocks about this weekend is that we are out of contact with life outside of
Trent for a luscious 24 hrs. The kids are not texting us…we are not calling home to check in…we are
not looking at emails…we are just reading, and talking, and hanging out and
planning. What a difference it makes to be in the present moment. And we
watched a steamy thriller last night too-start to finish.
And boy do we need it. The next two weeks are honestly
out of a book called Hell. My husband moves his office on Friday and all renos
on office being completed before then. His next two weekends-he and his staff
and my kids in rotation are busy moving. While I work my ass off at work and Spring Clean my house.
Never mind that I am offsite this week and delivering an
important leadership program with my Swiss colleague. The kids are going to be
on their own pretty much.
Tonight the fun begins-we get back from our escapade at
Trent and going to do one fun thing before out two weeks of Hell..going to take
the kids to a new resto that is known to have the best burgers ever and
jukeboxes and everything. Then tuck them in..then husband drives me to hotel
for 11pm.Then I have my entire flipcharts to prep for course from 11:30-1:30pm and then up
at 5:30am to work with my colleague before course. And my week begins. My husband's schedule
is even scarier.
So in conclusion of my scattered and random thoughts …..I’m
realizing that I am in a very unique stage of my life with 3 teens/tween and
married 17 yrs. And I don’t have a lot of people who are at this same stage of
life to ask a lot of questions to. Most of my close close people have much much
younger kids, or have been married a lot less years, or are even single still.
I am realizing it will be important for me as time goes on to connect with some
people and create a newtwork for myself of people in a very similar stage even
if that is an online support group. I need to learn..and get it right…and often
I learn best from watching and studying and asking tons of question from others
who have been through this before.
And like when I had babies very young and with a guy 12 yrs.
older than me…I feel myself once again alone in this stage to some degree.
Fully, fully supported and listened to by my current friends and network. But
with no one except a handful of people who have been, there, done that and can
hand me down the gift of their expertise of what it felt like to live and how
they came out on the other side winning.
It’s a very unique stage of life. And an incredibly
beautiful one. And a very complex one…and a difficult one on many levels. Getting
to where we are now…to getting to Swiss Chalet holding hands at 80 yrs old. With the
bathing of kids gone, and the decisions they make their own, and the homemade mother’s
days cards at school finished, and the music loader and the kisses on the
cheeks with girls longer.
It’s a wonderful stage and a scary one… this stage of being with the same person equal to half of the years you have lived!!!. With the goal remaining the same as it always has been…moving
on..succeeding…loving….and uncovering in each other parts that have not been
there before-while cherishing the parts of the others that you feel like you
know so well..sometimes too well. And cherishing the whole package of this new
stage..without drowning it. Staying afloat and floating on the surface of the
beautiful ocean underneath us. Discovering it bit by bit and hand in hand.
Together.
And exposing parts of yourself to each other that have
been hidden before..that only years and years and years of knowing each other
will allow to come to the surface..if you let them.
All in the name of Love.
