When the Damian noticed the toilet was flushing slowly, he looked at me and asked, "Do you need to use the plunger again?"
He remembered I did it last year and didn't blink at the thought of me using it again. Eight years ago I would have never dreamed of learning to unclog a toilet, because there was always someone to do it for me. Now that we've been our own the better part of two years, I have learned to Google & YouTube my way through many "adventures" around the house. It is reassuring that my four year old sees me as a more capable handy-gal than I used to see myself.
When Kevin saw me applying for college this morning, he said I was too old to go back. I explained that I'm not.
He said I already went. I explained the reasons for checking out the requirements of finishing my bachelor's degree.
He said I would be gone all the time. I told him probably not, but if I were it would be for a good reason.
This conversation echoes the many we have had and will have about being a secure unit of three. There have been many decisions to make and many opportunities to consider as I map out what the future looks like. I've finally been able to start moving toward the goals that used to be fragile ideas in the back of my head. Honestly, I don't have a lot of choice but to adapt and evolve. Staying the same is not an option. Once we thicken our skin and see the world with new eyes, I believe there is a strength that surprises even our own expectations of who we can be.
I want to make sure I'm raising boys who embrace a life that is not conventional.
Time to shovel the driveway & officially begin our Christmas season.
-Andrea