The sun feels warm on my skin, seagulls are squawking overhead and the water is splashing against the sandy shore. There aren’t many people at the beach today. It is Monday and most everyone is at work and children aren’t yet out of school for summer vacation.


I have come to the beach to think about the possibilities my life holds. I have needs and wants that are currently not being met and I have to make some adjustments – I need to turn some of the stumbling blocks I have encountered into stepping stones.


My life has been a most exciting adventure so far. Yet it hasn’t been the way I had imagined. I thought I would be happily married ever after and have a home where my children would grow up in a stable environment and where they would bring their wives and my grandchildren back to visit. Instead, I learned to change my dreams and goals and do my best to make each detour a rejuvenating, learning, and whenever possible, a fun experience.


It seemed altogether more terrifying and easier when my sons were young and I had to turn failures and problems into detours not defeats. Being a single mom was scary and extraordinarily wonderful. Now I need to motivate myself to go forward – not because I need to be responsible for taking care of the needs of my children but because I don’t want to waste the precious gift of my own life.


My daughter-in-laws are fantastic women. Their approaches to everyday life are very different. Each in their unique way have created an atmosphere that is warm and loving for their families. I admire that both Carol and Shelia are strong woman. They are not easily manipulated and have self respect. A quality I am still nurturing within myself.


It is fun to see my sons, now in their roles as husbands and fathers. It seems like only yesterday they were my little boys and we were playing soccer in the yard.


As I plot my new course for adventure I am confident that in my own way I will continue to create my own unique version of “happily ever after”. My sons may no longer be my motivator yet they will always be a source of unconditional support and love.


Hmmm, I wonder what I will be when I grow up? (smile)