Reflections

As many of you know, I had a birthday this past week.  From now on I must say "early sixties and single". Doesn't quite have that "sixy and single" vibe but time marches on.  Like most people, when my birthday rolls around I tend to reflect on events of the past year and wonder what the future holds.

This past year started with four months of incredible lows and many tears.  The worst day of my life was the day my children were told of the pending divorce.   I knew how it would shock and upset them.  It is hard to hurt the people you love the most.  From that day forward, we worked on surviving this together as a family albeit a different one.  Doug and Leigh Anne suggested a sublet in California.  Combining that idea with my own plans to spend the summer in Alaska started an adventure of a life time.  While I waited for the divorce to be finalized, I had something exciting to plan and look forward to doing.   The five months I spent traveling included some incredible highs - spending time with my children, watching my son graduate from law school, meeting new friends and experiencing new places, rediscovering myself, and seeing so many beautiful sights in the good old USA.

Blogging is something I never thought I would do but it has been so much fun having my friends and family follow along.  Some of you have been my friends since elementary school which means over 50 years.  Is that scary, or what??  A lot of you have been my friends for many years and others just a short while but you are all important to me.  My brothers and sisters also helped on this journey - from listening to me rant, providing me with a place to live, watching my cats, helping me find a townhouse in TN, and even helping me move.  To quote a famous line from "The Blind Side", you had my back.

When I look to the future, I see good things  and happiness ahead.  Franklin, TN is a beautiful area and I think I will enjoy living here.  It would be wonderful to have visitors so I truly hope all of you will show up as promised.  Lots of fun stuff to do here.   Janet and Nick are close by, Doug and Leigh Anne are two hours away by plane, and Sarah is still hours and hours away!!!!  I am not sure we'll ever get her back "down south".  I have at least two more trips planned before the end of the year!!!  One to NYC in early December to see where Doug and Leigh Anne live and the Big Apple decorated for the holidays.  The last trip of the year will be to Ireland for two weeks with my good neighborhood/high school friend, Diana.

There is Joy!!!