A Season of Complications

Hi Friends!

I've been absent for a while but I'm back! It seems as though every moment of the past couple of months has been spent working on our annual She Speaks Conference. Now that the conference is over, I'm finding it difficult to get back on track and figure out what my "normal" daily routine is. (Like posting on my blogs!)

In the weeks leading up to the conference, and many times during the conference, women asked me what I would do when the conference was over. It was pretty much assumed that I would take a vacation... go somewhere to rest and recover. As a single mom... getting away isn't easy.

I discovered the "complications" of being a single parent before Ron died. Our son, Nick, was only three years old and Ron was too weak to do anything other than lie in the hospital bed we had in our living room. I certainly couldn't leave a three-year-old alone so I found it difficult to do the most basic daily tasks like taking out the garbage. We had a very long driveway. I couldn't drag the garbage out to the curb until Nick was in bed sleeping.

A quick trip to pick up milk at the store was no longer a quick trip. I had to pack up Nick (and his stuff) and buckle him into his car seat. Once we reached the store I had to get him out of the car and carry him inside with me. A simple 15-minute trip to the store became an exhausting chore.

Nick is now 15-years-old. He takes out the garbage (yeah!) and I can leave him home when I run out for milk (or, nowadays, it's "Mom, we're out of snacks!"). But... little excursions are still complicated.

A group of my bestest girlfriends are going away for a girls birthday celebration weekend in two weeks. As much as I would love to go and just be a girl for a few days, I can't leave Nick home alone. The other gals all have husbands at home with their kids. This is my season of complications. Even with a great support system of friends who are willing to take Nick for the weekend, it doesn't always work out (and Nick doesn't like having to stay with my friends - he would rather be in his own home).

Please don't get me wrong... I love spending time with Nick. That's not at all complicated. But sometimes, it sure would be nice to be able to get away for rest or for fun. In just a few years Nick will go away to college. I'm sure I will cry me a river when I leave him in a dorm room! But... it will be a new season for Nick and for me. A season of independence for both of us.

Blessings my friends!
LeAnn