To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace;
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…
Ecclesiastes 3
I mentioned recently that I am a late bloomer. This persona goes with this whole “old soul'”, “wise for my age”, “good girl” theme that I was dropped smack in the middle of on September 5, 1972 (this would be the day of my birth). This has always been a belief about myself that I bought into…until recently.
Sometimes, one’s world is turned upside down by the uncontrollable circumstances of life. Personally, things that have rocked my world in the past few years include, but are not limited to:
- Walking through Alzheimer’s disease with my precious Father and losing him after he bravely battled it for 12 years. Every day in Alzheimer’s land is a day that you say goodbye in some way to your loved one and hello to a new change in them.
- Infidelity, followed by three years of intense therapy with my ex husband
- A divorce from my best friend after 23 years together
- A big move for my beautiful Momma out of our family home and into her new home (which is lovely by the way)
- Helping children cope. Children teaching me to be a grown up. Welcome to teen world. Enough said.
- A couple of career changes
- Financial stress, financial stress, financial stress
- Weight loss, weight gain and now onto loss again
Goodness knows, there is much more. This is an excellent starter list though. Surprisingly, I’m still here to tell my story and for that, my gratitude is overwhelming.
There are “firsts” happening too:
- There have been a couple of dates for me. Shocking, but dating at 19 is a completely different game than dating at 45.
- My kiddos are experiencing tons of “firsts”…growing up; junior high; high school, dates (kind of); and all the challenges that accompany their experiences
- I have begun graduate school, tonight as a matter of fact
- I have a new career that I treasure!
- New friends. I feel like I am in college all over again with the new friends I am making. I was just discussing with one of them (my new friends) how cool the process is; we agreed that there is a feeling that some of the friendships we are forming now, in our 40’s, are forged for a lifetime.
- I am making grown up decisions for myself without regard (or less regard) to the judgement’s of others. This is a drastic change for me.
- I’m working on replacing words like shame, guilt and should’s with surrender, forgiveness and healing.
- I am letting my mistakes be what they are…a growing experience that does not indicate I cannot accept myself with imperfections.
So….back to the late bloomer. I have come to the conclusion that I’m not ‘late’ afterall. I have certainly not arrived. I am simply journeying along, just like we all are. I wrote out Ecclesiastes 3 because it’s always been a favorite of mine, yet it’s only now that it seems to apply to my own life. (I know…forgive my recent egocentricity.) I am viewing myself in a different light. There is a path ahead of me that is full of beauty and delight, I get to decide (generally speaking) which directions I will go.
During a party I recently attended, I watched in awe as several beautiful women danced to the song, “I am Woman” by Helen Reddy. The lyrics fit where I am right now beautifully…..
“I am woman, hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore, and I know too much to go back or pretend cause I’ve heard it all before and I’ve been down on the floor No one’s ever gonna keep me down again. Oh yes, I am wise, but it’s wisdom born of pain, yes I’ve paid the price, but look how much I’ve gained. If I have to, I can do anything. I AM STRONG. I AM INVINCIBLE. I AM WOMAN. You can bend but never break me cause’ it only serves to make me more determined to achieve my final goal and I come back even stronger not a novice any longer cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul. (chorus) I am woman watch me grow see me standing toe to toe as I spread my lovin’ arms across the land. But I’m still an embryo with a long long way to go, until I make my brother understand. (chorus)
Yep…this is right where I am and right where I am is EXACTLY where I am supposed to be.
SUNKISSED SOUL 