Yes, Julia, There is a Blog for You

Attended the graduation of my niece, Julia - she received her Master's degree in Occupational Therapy.

How could I have a niece with a Master's degree? To freeze time and preserve my youth, I will studiously ignore her age and education just as I have attempted to ignore that my other niece has a doctorate in Pharmacy, and is currently Head Pharmacy Resident in an Indianapolis hospital...and that Kayla (daughter #2) is a college senior applying to graduate programs...and that Amy (daughter #1) has been out two years, traveled the world, teaches in Chicago and is currently IN graduate school...and that my son Christopher completed six college applications in order to study biomedical engineering...

Wait...with a wave of my hand...voila! They are all toddlers again!:)

How long can I retain my delusions that "the kids" are still kids? I"LL TELL YOU! As long as I DARN WELL want to!;)

NOW...who wants to play Mickey Mouse Yahtzee? Junior Monopoly? Go Fish?

Maybe I do have to close my eyes to keep the fantasy. Or look at the photo albums.

And then I am sad.

The sadness is counterbalanced by the amazing adults these beautiful children have become. They truly are bright, beautiful, caring, ambitious, giving young people. And even though I know the aim of parenting is that exact result, I yearn to be back in the process (with the caveat that I get to skip the 15 - 18 year old ages...shiver, cringe, pale). I miss the simple joys and intimacy of that time.

Julia is married to a lovely young man named Steve. At one point after the ceremony, I was texting Amy, and Steve sat down next to me and gently reminded me never to text while driving.

See, this part I like. Christopher does the same guy stuff...like putting his hand on my back to guide me through hazardous airport pedestrian traffic or reminding me to drive carefully when I go out. It's nice, in a weird, role-reversal kind of way. My mom has told me she had (has!) a struggle relinquishing the caretaker role for care-receiver. At her age, a lot of things are becoming physically, and sometimes mentally, quite challenging. I'm in sort of a comfortable middle stage - the girls (women) still ask for advice, but they also give it, because, I acknowledge, they are more current on certain issues (technology, music, exercise)(cosmetics, clothes, foreign countries)(who isn't more current?) than I am.

I met a 68 year old woman on the plane (accompanied by her two shitzus and husband - blog post to follow!) who lectures on cruise ships, teaches part time at the university (she is a professor), writes, and rebuilds foreign sport cars.

Now THAT's the inspiration I need to contemplate!

Moments like Julia's graduation force me to question and think - what do I want the NEXT 50 years to look like? I need to set some goals and challenge myself. I've felt a heavy burden of "endings" lately, but as my darling brother pointed out - commencement means beginning. I need to decide how I will begin again as my life continues in this new direction.

So, dear Julia, daughter of my Auntie-heart, congratulations on another new beginning. Many prayers and blessings on your new ventures as a compassionate, effective (evidence based) occupational therapist!

;)