Getting My Life Back

It's September 7th and school started today. That means last night there were four sad, crabby, anxious, and stressed out kids in my house. But all went just fine this morning, and though I'm a bit weary from all the mornings events, I'm feeling pretty good. There were those years past when I was reduced to a weepy pile of tears on the first day of school. But I guess I've grown up. That's a good thing to realize about oneself. And I've gotten my life back! No more keeping my eye out for the constant and unending needs of four (five counting the biggest kid in the house!) others 24/7. No more fighting to get computer time. No more constant noise. Ahhh! It's practically a Calgon moment. Now, I don't mean to bitch. I knew what I was signing up for when I ditched my full time litigation career to be a full time mommy. I remember how crabby my own mom was most of the time. I knew loosing my identity was a distinct possibility and practically guaranteed when one works out of the house and dwells in the non-stop housework required of this gig. But as my youngest starts 6th grade, I am reminded of how fast time truly flies. That means that I have really only 6 serious years left of primary mommy hood left. That's not much. And my oldest is now a high school senior. That reminds me that there will be a lot of future adjustments in store for our whole family. But for now, Lauren's here. And I'm grateful for that.
Tomorrow is September 8th, and my 24 year old nephew will receive a new kidney from some stranger who waltzed into U of M Hospital hell bent on making the world a better place by saving someone's life. Amazing. My nephew is also perched on the brink of getting his life back. Dialysis three times a week, constant fatigue, seizures for un-Godly high blood pressure, and comas may certainly be a thing of the past for this young, handsome and talented man.
Last Friday, my whole family gathered to finally bury the ashes of this same nephew's father. He was also a kidney patient. A year ago, he didn't get his life back, but along the way for the past 30 years, he certainly did on many occasions. On Friday, we all realized how much we needed that ceremony. We all felt captive by our grief this past year while my mom made the uncomfortable decision of what to do with his remains. And in a way, we all got our full lives back as we cried, laughed, told stories, shared spripture and were again bonded by our love of him.
Getting your life back feels good. And we all deserve that from time to time regardless of our responsibilities or the challenges that fate deals us. So, Dear Readers, why don't you reflect on a time when you got your life back after it was held captive for awhile. It's bound to bring out the gratefulness in you. Take care! Lauren Sept. 7, 2010 12:50 p.m.