We’ve heard it all before….”It’s my time now.” The kid(s) is gone and my world has been turned upside down in a way that’s exciting and deeply sad all at the same time. But how can that be?

In my case, my ‘one hit wonder’ daughter had a dream; a big dream; some would say an impossible dream, but she went after it and it came true. To earn a scholarship and play volleyball at a U.S. Division 1 School, so how can I be upset at that? So what if it’s a five hour plane ride away in California and a three hour time difference….so what right?! Truthfully, the jury is still out on that. But non the less, she did it and I couldn’t be more in awe of her. So now what? September has rolled on by, no back to school supplies lying around my house, no backpack left by the front door. No volleyball practise to drive to, no training sessions to get her to in rush hour, no eating like old people (no offence) and eating dinner before the sun sets in the middle of winter because I insist on eating as a family before the long hour and a half drive to practise.

No volleyball tournaments and meal planning for that, no travel schedules to organize, flights, hotels, rental cars and restaurant reservations for 30 people. No school parties, concerts or semi formals to shop for, nope, it’s just my time now. Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of stuff to do, and I’ve got projects on the back burner that have needed my attention for a very long time. But I think I’m in some kind of mourning. Glad the pain (the hustle and bustle) is over, but missing what once was.

I’ve got a lot to write about, so this won’t be the last of me for such long periods of time. I just need to figure out what direction I want to go.