“Wow! You’re HOW old?”

Hmmm… That reaction can be either flattering or insulting, depending on how it’s uttered! Fortunately for me, most of the time it’s followed with “No you’re not!” or “You don’t seem that old!” That helps. Some.

I may not advertise my age, but I’m not ashamed of it, either. I’ve lived a lot of years; I’ve done a lot of things and I’ve missed out on a lot of things—but I’m nowhere near finished yet! I am learning new lessons all the time. I’m learning about myself, about parenting my son, and about relationships, including love. I guess I should say STILL learning about those things! It seems the lessons never end!

God has blessed me in many ways. I have a son that I love dearly. My parents are both still with me. I have survived more heartbreaks of more kinds than anyone should and despite them (or maybe because of them), I have found the desire to love and be loved by someone again. I have also learned that if he’s out there and he wants me, he will find me. And he will be glad he did!

About Myself

I have learned that I am stronger than I would ever have believed. With my God’s help, I can do anything I need to. I can find the door or window God has opened when there seems to be no escape. I can take—or leave—whatever or whoever is necessary to survive. I can even be there for others when it would have been easier to fall apart.

Parents and Children

I can be the parent that doesn’t have all the answers, but is still there to fight with my son, side-by-side, whatever challenges he faces. I can live through the nights when I don’t know what the morning will bring, and the days when everything seems to come crashing down around me.

I also know that it’s as difficult to be a good daughter as a good mother. Leaving home doesn’t absolve you of any of those responsibilities—and you shouldn’t want it to.

Friends

I’ve learned that friends you can trust with anything in your heart are more valuable than anything else in the world. I have a few friends that I can say that about, and maybe one or two more in the making. That’s more than many people ever have in a lifetime. Of course, I’ve also learned that to have that kind of friends, you have to be brave enough to let them in. Oh, and you have to be the same kind of friend in return; that’s a given.

Romance

I’ve learned that I don’t just want romance, I need it. I need touch, and affection, and kisses to be happy. Not to be happy with who I am, but to feel that I am loved. I need the sweet, kind, gentle acts of a romantic man to open my heart. A heart that’s survived heartbreaks and trials in life must be opened, like a flower bud, so the love can soak deep into it and show its full beauty. A heart that’s open to love can do anything.

Love

And then there’s love… I have learned that love is necessary to survive life. Life is hard; love makes it easier. No, not just easier.

Love makes it possible!