Fast-Forward to 2015

Well, lots of changes have occurred since I last blogged. I've been living in the cute little ranch house I fell in love with way back in February 2010. I've also been teaching high school at the same school this whole time, and my personal life has been full of ups and downs. I went through a breast cancer scare (all is well), dated unsuccessfully, and became a Baha'i. Then in February, my 24-year-old daughter died of a drug overdose. There are simply no words to describe the pain of watching your child struggle with depression and mental illness and finally self-destruct. My heart is torn forever. As impossible as I felt it would be, I am learning to go on. I somehow managed to complete the school year, thanks to the support and love from the wonderful people I work with, my family and Baha'i friends. Mom came to visit me right after school was over, and we had a lot of fun in this beautiful city. The rest of my summer has been spent relaxing, trying to come to grips with the reality of losing my girl, and thinking about what is really important in life. It's relationships. That's it...those you love. Nothing else comes close. I love living in this physical reality and want to be around for as long as I can so that I can love and be loved as much as possible. To that end, I have re-committed myself to taking better care of myself. I am eating better, sorting through my material possessions and letting go of things I am not actively using and enjoying, and making plans for a big change in my life. My youngest child is nearly 20 now, and it's time for me to loosen those proverbial apron strings enough so both of us can move into a new stage in life. Part of this change involves downsizing. The house I've loved dearly and lived in for five years now is too big. I'm working with my property manager to find an apartment. No more yard work, no more chickens, less space to maintain. I need to lighten my load: physically, emotionally and mentally. As sad as I will be to leave here, I'm also excited about the months ahead. New adventures await!