It is the start of another week. More often than not, my week starts with a great deal of optimism. My only concern for the week that lies ahead is that it will be difficult to top last week. Life is a roller coaster ride of highs and lows that I love. I do not need everything to be perfect to wake up happy in the morning and fall asleep happy in the evening. In my head there are seven areas of life – kids (aka my birds), my family, my friends, work, my health, my finances and my love life. Each of these aspects of my life has its trials and triumphs, and while one is in a period of triumph, another will undoubtedly be in a period of trial. I have learned to embrace the positive and to not let one aspect of life over take another, and I found that having a positive perspective on life as a whole seems to make the trials of each aspect of my life fewer and farther apart in time.
Last week was unique in that I triumphed in all seven aspects of my life.
1) Kids – I am blessed with beautiful amazing children. The birds had their last day of school on Wednesday last week. I was there to greet them when they got off the bus. Brainy Bird is now headed to seventh grade in the fall, and Little Chirp will be off to second grade. Overall, both had an outstanding school year, and both are looking forward to the summer. I asked Little Chirp if he felt like a big shot now that he is a second grader, and he didn’t understand what this meant. I explained that as kids get bigger and older they tend to hold themselves in higher regard relative to the younger children they know. Apparently, Little Chirp doesn’t think of himself as a “big shot”, his response to me was a wrinkled face, “First grade, second grade…I am the same Mommy, and I like it all.” A few minutes later he said, “Mommy, do you feel like a really big shot?”. I said, “No, why would I?” His response, “Because you are really big and old Mommy.” Thanks, little one, I thought to myself. I love being their mommy even when they insult me.
2) My family – The brother is in Greece right now with his beautiful new wife. They didn’t take a honeymoon in January because they were already headed to Greece in the summer. I have never seen him happier than I have seen him the past few months. My sister is doing well too; she is happy and excited that the Birds are each spending a week with her in the summer. Put a smiley face in the box next to “family”.
3) My friends – Wow! So much great stuff going on right now with my friends. Sunshine’s son (my Godson) graduated from high school this week. I am friends with so many of his classmates’ parents, and I loved seeing all the graduation posts on Facebook. All of the kids are headed off to college and great things in life. Em, Em’s sister, K and I are all headed to Napa Valley later this summer to celebrate Em’s 40th birthday. I can’t wait! To top it all off, a friend and former neighbor went home from the hospital this week after receiving a double lung transplant!!! Her speedy recovery from her transplant is record breaking.
The best part on the friend front this week is that Banana, and I got together for an early dinner and girl talk. She lives in San Antonio, and she was in Houston for work. It was almost exactly two years ago that I met up with her in Austin and she told me that she was expecting a child and getting married. Banana looks amazing, is amazing and we had a great dinner together.
4) Work – I LOVE my job. Work is going extremely well. I look forward to Mondays, and I often lay awake in the morning and I think to myself, “I can’t believe this is my life.” I am close to closing a big project at work, and I am excited as I know that a great deal of success lies ahead.
5) My health – I am coming up on the two year mark of cancer free. I feel great, and I am back to my pre-surgery weight. It took two years to get there, but the challenge of getting back into my size 2 jeans makes me appreciate what I have. I think back to how I felt this time two years ago and how scared I was, and I am deeply grateful for my health.
6) My finances – I have written previously about the constant wonder if I am possibly not saving enough or saving to the point that I am not enjoying enough in life. That is something that I will always wonder. This week, using an online program, I did a reality check on my savings and projected funds for retirement, and without factoring in Social Security or my company’s pension, I found that I am right on track. I like the piece of mind. There were three days this week that every stock in my individual portfolio that I manage just for fun was up. It was as if to say, “All things in life are up, smile!”
7) My Love Life – Quite honestly, 6 of the 7 aspects of my life are usually going my way, and this is the one that is usually not going my way. This week I went 7 for 7. I have started dating again, and things are actually going well. The week started with a date on Sunday afternoon with an exceptionally attractive, kind hearted, honest man. He was the perfect gentleman, and I loved hearing his life story. We followed the date on Sunday up with a date on Tuesday.
Then on Thursday, things tried to go side ways. I was walking out of a restaurant after a successful client lunch, and I found Jac sitting at the bar working on some paperwork. I parted ways with my client at the door, explaining that I knew the guy at the bar, and wanted to catch up with him.
Jac was, as always, looking great with his dimples and the light in his eyes. The only thing that I have found to be wrong with Jac is his complete lack of interest in me. We chatted for a bit, and then I sensed he wanted me to depart, so that he could get back to his paperwork, so I wished him well, and I headed back to the office for an unproductive afternoon.
Around five that afternoon, I was walking downtown with two of my most respected and trusted co-workers, and I told them quite honestly that I was distracted. I told them the truth, that there is no shortage of great men in my life, but that the ones that I am actually interested in are few and far between, and the latest of those rare individuals seems to have zero interest in me, and I hate not knowing why. My colleagues laughed, and acknowledged their gratefulness that they have both been out of the dating seen for more than 20 years.
I was especially frustrated that I had two fun dates with a VERY attractive, kind hearted man that week, and now, thanks to Jac, that attractive man was the furthest thing from my mind. I stumbled through my client networking event that evening, and then I went to grab a shower to be ready for a date with someone new. I arrived early for the date with Jac still on my mind. I wanted to be any place but there at a bar waiting on a date. Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that my date was someone from back home that now also lives in Houston, I would have cancelled. But I wasn’t going to cancel on someone that I have know for more than 20 years. I am so glad that I didn’t.
Funny, I am sitting here alone on a business trip trying to decide what blog name to give this guy from back home, my date on Thursday. I am not saying anything more than that it was a great first date, which ended in a perfect good night kiss. (I am now reevaluating my rule of no kissing on the first date after this.) What I am saying is Jac sets to bar high on a crush front, and I think that someone has hopped the bar. Now this someone needs a blog name 🙂
The week was 7 for 7! I am extremely grateful for the life that I am living, and I am excited to find out what happens next.