Let Go and Let Be

Let me start with, where has the last 3 years disappeared? My family and I have been back in the states now for 3 years...WOW... We call Fuquay Varina, NC home... I am finally getting around to some of my passions of photography, blogging, gardening, and crafting.... so maybe we will start with the readers' digest version of life...

As a military family, there are always challenges with each move, but moving from Japan in so many ways was more challenging than the flip side...moving to Japan......moving back, we felt like we spent our life savings trying to start over. We bought a house, 2 cars, furniture, a pet, I mean the list goes on and on.....I got a "real job," changed jobs again, made some friends, you know all the important stuff. Finally, life seems to be approaching somewhat of a normal stage but is there ever really a "normal"?

Time as defined by the dictionary is "the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole" In a blink of an eye, 3 years have passed. Where does the time go? It is a commodity we wish away but prays it slows down all in the same breath. For me personally, as a mother, I have done both this year. I wished time away while I battled breast cancer but prayed to God to give me more time with my son and family. As quoted by John Maxwell, "Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives."

As I looked over my blog from the past 3 years, one particular post stood out, Reflection. This past year for me personally, has been about a lot of reflection. As I faced the reality of breast cancer diagnosis, it brings one to question many life choices, while at the same time helps you prioritize exactly what you want in life....it really makes you think about your life and what you really want out of your time with family, friends, and future.

We are not invincible. I think we all as parents think we will have "tomorrow," but when faced with the uncertainty of a diagnosis or your future well, time will stop you in your tracks and make you take inventory on what's really important.

It has taken all my motherly instincts not to lock my teenager in his room and put a spell on him and turn back time. He is growing up so fast. These past couple of years, there have been many good times through all the scary stuff as a family; we have focused on the positive.

This past couple of years we celebrated many first with Dawson. He moved to a new high school in the neighborhood; we gave him the freedom for the first time riding his bike to school, scuba certification, a job, and a new puppy. This is huge as he has never had that freedom based on where we lived. He is learning to drive, had his first kiss, first girlfriend, made many friends, improved with his swim, grown and matured. I mean, the list goes on... I feel the panic attack set in as the clock does not stop ticking.