what now?

“…you can’t plan out or perfectly schedule the big moments in your life. They just happen to you when they happen, sometimes because you made them happen and sometimes because you couldn’t stop them from happening.” ― Caitlin Rush, Curses Beneath Her Feet

Both kiddos are in school as type, which is monumental and mind-blowing. Since 2015 I have always had a chid in my care while knowing that they’d inevitably transition to elementary school and I’d be face to answer a question that can trigger many, myself included. What now?

My answer is typical of my personality. EVERYTHING. I am increasing workloads, exploring new opportunities, volunteering, investing in various versions of self-care, and still wandering in wonder but with less guilt and insecurity. The freedom of feelings at forty is perhaps the best gift that keeps on giving. I am also here to declare that my appetite for writing has returned at a pace I didn’t expect but welcome. Just a few days in and I see and feel the significant shift in inspiration and the possibilities of impact.

I don’t pretend to know who is reading this or what stage of life a reader might be in. However, the timelessness of what now is to be celebrated and cherished. What now, friends? What will you to do make this day matter, this month mean something, etc? Do not be paralyzed by options or confined by circumstances. For now, think it through with humility and always a healthy portion of humor. I’m doing the very same from a quiet house with a full cup of coffee. P.S. hugs to families everywhere who return to school now or shortly. What a weird and wonderful thing it is to mark shifts in seasons through the eyes and experiences of a child.