Changes

Things are changing around here. About an hour ago the doorbell started ringing and next thing I knew there are three of Madeleine's friends in the house. I do not mind when her friends are here, but it would have been nice to know that "we" were expecting them. She used to check with me first; I need to address that and make sure she keeps doing so. I mean, what if I were running around the house with nothing on but a pink boa, rubber gloves and curlers in my hair? Well, I never do that, but what if I did?

She's eleven-and-a-half. We are moving into a new stage of our lives and my parenting role is changing. I'm not sure I've been trained for this part and also not sure where they are holding this training. And who they are.

Mostly I am good with her taking charge of her life in these ways. She has good friends and they are good kids, so right now at least, I don't have to worry about who she is hanging out with. That will come later. But here's where the situation start to get murky for me: my life is about to change in a big way. Couple this with a daughter who has less and less interest in having anything to do with her mother, and you have a woman who is really wondering in which direction her life is going.

I have school and getting my degree to look forward to, which of course, is good stuff. But everything, everything else is changing right now and I am starting to get dizzy.

Someone very wise once said to me, "The only constant in life is change." Truer words have never been spoken.