Of Summer and Mid-life Crisis

This little princess, yes, the youngest of our four cubs, is about to be a kindergartener next week.

She's so precious it makes me teary.

Ever since I chose a college major, I've had life planned out.  I would major in music education, graduate college, work as a music teacher, get married, have children and stay home with them to raise them until they got into school, and that was that.

I've now outlived all the dreams I'd ever set for myself.

See why this blog is about mid-life crisis?

I've heard about this from many other moms, too.  The youngest goes to kindergarten, and now it's time to answer the question, "What am I going to be when I grow up?"  Weird.

Something else was a little weird about our summer.  We've always loved to travel.  We planned vacations for this summer.  Then, we cancelled them.  I suppose once you've been through an experience of selling your house, living in a camper and traveling the USA full-time, it's possible to get to a point of feeling like you've DONE the entire USA.  Very odd.

That said, this was one of my favorite summers EVER.  We had time with friends, friends, and more friends.  We were outside with no time constraints or rushing, enjoying the sunshine, water, adventure of childhood, and chatting times of womanhood.

It was a perfect summer.

Right before school started for the boys, Y asked, "Did you like this year, the 'summer of the lake,' or last year's 'Utter adventure' better?"  Y was actually the only family member that could answer that question.  He liked the adventure better.  The rest of us couldn't choose.

Which lifestyle is better?  Running crazy from one place to the next, to sail in the S.S. Utter and pet wild manatees, cross the country and mine for gold, sail the Mississippi, and explore a temperate rain forest?  Oh, the wonders of God's creation!  Or, to sit on a surf board in the sand, talk with friends, and watch the kids adventure and grow?  Oh, the wonders of these precious, God-given relationships!

Maybe the mid-life crisis feeling comes from wishing none of it would end.  Our little girl is going to kindergarten!

Certainly the mid-life crisis feeling comes from not wanting to waste this life.  How?  By loving God more, loving people more, praying more, and seeing what happens?  That's always my pat answer.  What will it mean?  Maybe by the fall update of this blog, I'll know the answer?

It was a beautiful summer.  Now our little girl is going to kindergarten.