Last night Shrek and I exhaled. We even shared a sense of a semi accomplishment of sorts: a very low key, and mostly uneventful blended family holiday week. With seven kids between us there is all sorts of potential for eventful… Low key may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me these days it is a prize. It is in the calm that I find connection, and the chance to notice more of what we are capable of individually and collectively.
The last few months have been remarkable, but also very challenging and demanding. I used to find such solace writing about the hard stuff here. Then as I deepened with Shrek, my hard, was often our hard, or in part because of each other hard. This makes blogging about it complicated. SInce the hard was itself complicated, the act of writing about it became less of a way of finding my way out, and more of a way of finding my way deeper in. No thank you.
I even contemplated wrapping up Mama C, considering perhaps that an era had come to an end. Mama C and the Boys is no longer a container for who I am I thought. We are not 3.25, or 3.75, we are for real 4. But, there it is. We are four. With four comes a whole host of new ways to explore, examine, and reflect on it in this venue. Shrek is marrying a writer after all…
So here it goes, an attempt to shift into Mama C and all her boys. A dip into a new realm which looks with consideration and compassion into blended families, choosing life partnership after forty-five, shifting from single parenting to co-parenting, aging, adoption and transracial just about everything for starters. Over the next few weeks and months I’ll do my best to share some of my and our hard, and some of the ah-has here, in my singular voice that resonates with reflection, vulnerability, insight and humor. Peace.
I’ve missed you, looking forward to what’s to come
Thanks Anne! I’ve missed me too! Looking forward to connecting here again. Thanks for checking in. Time to go visit you too!
Happy new year Mama. I wish you and all your boys and girls in all your various incarnations a wonderful year full of laughter, love, and hope.
Oh back at you Mama. Back at you. Thank you for all of the love and support.
Write on, Mama!
I’m glad you are still blogging and the shift sounds wonderfully exciting!
Thanks Mama! We can’t stop can we? No, not yet! Happy 2014 to one of my great inspirations-YOU.
Yes! I can’t wait to see what the new Mama C. brings our way. Congratulations, my love. Isn’t 45 awesome?!
Oh Mama indeed it is! What an huge honor to have you leave your encouragement here Denene. I am so energized about putting my words back out there again. 45 does come with a new ease and trust in the importance of transparency and truth for sure. Thank you for all the inspiration you share with so many in so many ways. I get fired up by your accomplishments, truth seeking, and parenting all year long!
Congratulations on your upcoming marriage. Congratulations on even finding the time to date!
How about dating? Any advice for dating with kids? The whole thing scares me a bit, bringing someone into my life is one thing, into my kids lives is another matter entirely.
Kim
Kim, I wish I had any advice worthy to give period. I will say that when I was “ready” letting folks know how much the parenting piece, and the co-parenting piece was a priority for me helped narrow the field in a way. Shrek and I met through family and friends actually, which really helped. My dating deal with the kids was that when I thought someone had long term potential, I arranged a playground visit or something low key, to see that person in action around my kids. Even fifteen minutes spoke volumes as far as potential was concerned. Shrek did not move in, until we had decided that we were going to get engaged in the coming months. This put me at ease for sure. Keeping the two worlds apart as long as you feel you all need is the only advice I would offer?
I am SO happy for you and all your boys! Loved seeing this picture, made me smile from ear to ear:).
Oh thank you Mama!!!!!!!