Saturday, June 4, 2016

Turning 46

Celebrating 46 is much like 45.  A cute card and Lightroom from my husband and boys, a full day of work, out for dinner last night and again tonight.  Facebook and text messages, phone calls, and in person wishes abound.  So cool to have those wishes out there.  

Some highlights from the last year and some wishes for the future:

The best of all: A college graduation, and soon a high school graduation.  At 46 I don't feel old enough to have a college graduate and another high school graduate.  On a good day I still feel 30.  On a bad day, 55.  I guess 46 isn't so bad.

The worst of all: My father in law passing away.   I had nearly as many years with him as I had with my dad.  Neither of which was enough.

The what the hell are we going to do with our time: The end of high school sports.  Our lives have been so involved with school sports I have no idea what we'll be doing on after work during football season or what our Friday nights will look like.  No more pictures to take...after I spent so many of the seasons on the sidelines hoping I avoided collision with the players, coaches and refs.

My patience: I've realized that as I get older, my patience wears thin much faster than it did a few years ago.  The neighbor thing and his love of bucketry is really pissing me off.   So do some high school parents.  For those of you that are left, for all that is holy: VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME.  It takes a village to run those programs...stop assuming a few parents will do everything for you and your kids.  The coaches need help.  Don't think that your time is more important than theirs.  This isn't limited to sports.  If your kid is involved, you should be too.

The proud moments: Watching both our boys succeed.  And being able to brush off the inner homework Nazi when our youngest never brought a book home.  A definite highlight was watching our oldest award our youngest with his scholarships from the very college he graduated.

Not again: Job changes for both my husband and myself, starting a business, and actually making a go of some real paid-for photography.

Being published: It isn't much, and may not be your cup of tea...but I loved writing Raising Doug.  It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks, I just wanted to finally accomplish what I set out to do.

In retrospect: Knowing that so many of my friends are in the same boat as we pass this next phase of our children's lives.  I spent last night looking through hundreds of pictures and those memories came flooding back.  Thankfully I was able to share some of those.

Weekends away:  There were not nearly enough snowmobiling weekends.  They are the one thing that really make us happy in winter.  We'll have to make up for it this summer.

Time with the kids: August 11 will be here before I know it. Knowing that our youngest is heading to the very college his older brother was at and will play football makes this momma very happy and knowing that Saturday's will bring football and roadtrips.

Nostalgia: Yesterday was the 28th anniversary of my high school graduation and 18th birthday.  I'd like to think that after I posted our commencement book it spurred many conversations in my classmates homes.

The wish: That our favorite class speaker actually gets to speak at graduation.  It doesn't matter if he's done it before multiple times.  The kids have spoken.  Let him speak!

If only: Every year is one year closer to retirement.  If only we could win the lottery.   We would be on our way to the one place that we really want to be.  Life is too short to sit at a desk every day and have to worry about every one else's deadlines when they don't seem to care that your time is valuable too.

For those of you that are turning 46 this year, we are all in the same boat.  For those of you that are a little younger or older, know that you are in good company.  Don't be afraid of your kids graduating, going to college, getting married and having babies of their own.   For those of you with much younger kids, I can't say I envy you.  We married young, had babies young and can now enjoy time with each other.  I don't know if I could raise young children today.  

I'm hoping 46 is the year we can finally get things right.

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