Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Am I Really About to Do This?

Tomorrow morning I am doing something that I am not even sure I should be doing. I am packing up three children (incredibly cute and intelligent; however they are children nonetheless) and we are driving to Chicago to spend the summer with my parents. While it's nice to say that this journey begins right now, it really began eight years ago when I got married. My husband and I have been seperated for a little over 6 months now, and our lives have taken challenging and unusual turns.



You see, before I got married, I was the epitome of the single-twentysomething woman. I dated a lot (cutie patooties), spent quality time with friends, was adventurous, and high-spirited. Through the years, I've settled into common wifey and mommy roles which sometimes included side effects of neglecting myself and experiencing sleep deprivation, depression, emotional eating, an overactive thyroid that could only be controlled when stress was under control, and premature gray hair.



When I moved out of the house my husband and I shared with our three children, it felt like a burden was lifted from my shoulders. I didn't have to walk on egg shells, I could cook gumbo for Christmas dinner, I could buy generic foods, and I could decorate my new place any way I want.



Unfortunately, the rest of the world didn't see my separation as such a great thing. I quickly discovered that the more honest I became with what was happening in our personal lives, the more I subjected our family to unfair judgements, prejudice, and chastising by people who were not in my circle. While I am grateful for the friends and family who helped us through the trials and turmoils (and throughout the summer, I'm you'll read about the nitty gritty details), I need time away from Dallas to process the past six months and plan for the future.



Why Chicago? It's home. My parents live there and I am relishing the opportunity to go to my childhood home and snuggle with my stuffed animals in my old room. I need a sense of stability right now and that's the place I'm seeking it. While Chicago in the summer is fun, I also plan to use the open road to do a lot of thinking.


Our estimated time of departure is noon Thursday! I'll update the travels as events warrant (and as I have internet access). Here's to a fun and enlightening summer!

1 comment:

Christie@tisbutaseason said...

Well. I am so excited for you and the monkeys! Please pass on our hello's and hugs to Maxine and The Judge!

Yes. You are realy doing this! And you'll do it well. :)

love & hugs!!!!!