An Arrow in Flight

I had this feeling a couple weeks ago while driving to a friend's house in Omaha.  I was blasting a song on the radio and singing along and suddenly thought, this must be what Wonder Woman felt like when she spun around to transform herself from a normal woman into her Super Hero Self.  I felt light and powerful, like an arrow in flight that couldn't be stopped until it hit it's target.

I had the same feeling a week ago as I was driving down I-29 toward my first stop on my road trip to Santa Fe.  I realized what I was feeling was freedom.  I am a 44 year old, single, self-employeed woman, my son is grown and doing well on his own, and all of my efforts and determination over the last 6 months actually paid off.  I did it.  I made my dream come true and moved to Santa Fe.  How amazing is that?!  Just the thought of it brings tears of joy to my eyes.

 

The image of an arrow in flight came from something my friend Frankie wrote about me on Facebook a couple days ago.  

Congratulations on having the courage and determination to pick your life up and move across country and begin a new journey. Most would turn back but she was an "arrow in flight".

Talk about tears of joy.  I am so blessed & truly felt (and feel) all the love, support, prayers and well wishes that followed me as I flew across the interstates of Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado & New Mexico to this enchanted land.  And when I arrived in Santa Fe last Sunday evening I felt like the sun was painting the sky just for me as it disappeared behind the mountains for the night.  

Almost a week after that first sunset, as I sit here looking out my friend's dining room window at the storm clouds breaking up over the Sangra de Cristo mountains, that sense of freedom is continues to grow.  How could it not when simply driving to the grocery store provides me with panoramic vistas and walking my dog on a trail reveals a breathtaking view of the Jemez Mountains.  Even my trip to the Farmer's Market this morning was a magical experience this morning.  Magic & Miracles.  That's what I've found here in my new home town.  And as I embrace my new found freedom, I expect to find more magic & more miracles along my path. 

Separation Anxiety?

I had lunch with my Mom the other day and she asked me if I was starting to feel any Separation Anxiety.  I've really been to busy to delve into any of those feelings, but she said she was feeling it.  I lived with my parents for a long time as an adult and it was a tremendous help to me on both occasions, especially as a young single mom.  I was able to do some traveling with my son and the financial burden of raising him was not as difficult as it could have been thanks to their help.  

The last couple of years living with my parents after losing my house to foreclosure gave me the chance to be of service to them, especially last year when my Dad got sick and then passed away.   I know I've been in the right place at the right time most of my life, even when I thought I wanted to be somewhere else.  My Mom and I have a much better relationship today because our time together and I believe that distance will only make our hearts grow fonder.  

I'm getting her set up with a webcam and Skype this week so we can chat face-2-face often (if I can ever figure out the microphone issues on my end that is).  My Mom even said the other night that she's learning what happiness means to her.  Just like I know it was right for me to live with her when I did, I also know it's right that we find what makes each of us happy out there on our own now.  Everything is falling into place this last week, just like it has since I made the decision to move and I know that the best is yet to come for me and for my Mom.

Old Friends

Laying in bed last night on my way to sleep, I wondered why I haven't been able to post anything here for a few weeks.  It's been a whirlwind of activity and decisions and I've been doing my best to focus on making memories here and now with my family and friends.   As I was trying to think of one thing to focus on for a blog post and image of a giant snowball barreling down the path of my recent days and swallowing up all of my experiences until all I could see were arms and legs of my clients and friends and pieces of furniture and even my dogs tail wagging out one side.  So, I decided to pull one of them out of the jumble and spend a few minutes with it here as I sit in quiet of the early morning in my home office at the desk I've used for almost 20 years.  

My emotions welled up as I typed that last sentence because I've gotten down to the nitty gritty stages of letting go of my belongings.  My "desk" is actually a butcher block topped table that I originally bought with 4 chairs and used as a kitchen table.  When I got my first computer in my mid 20s (that's right, I didn't have a computer at home until my 20s), I started using it as a desk and  few years later found a maple hutch at Target that matched the top perfectly and was almost the exact length of my desk and I've used the two pieces together in my office since that time.  The hutch is posted on Craigslist and someone is coming to look at it today.  I am still using the desk and need it for my last week here, but I'll probably mention it to the person who wants the hutch because I feel like they're two old friends and would like to find them a new home together.

Last week I sold my antique dresser that I've had since I was 16 years old.  It came from a second-hand store in downtown Omaha called Second Chance and I can still see the description in my mind of the display tag that read, "1890s Cottage Style Dresser, Solid Oak".  Something about those simple words spoke to me and when I opened the top right drawer and saw the built in dividers, my organizing heart fell in love.  Somehow, telling the stories about how the items that were special to me came into my life and how I used them and loved them makes this process easier to process.

As I was polishing my dresser for the last time, I thought, "Who's idea was it to radically simplify my life anyway?!" Oh, yeah.  It was me, of course, and despite my mixed emotions, I love the after effects of letting go.  It's a lightness of being that sneaks up and surprises me in the middle of the day and calm certainty that I am on the right path. 

The last of my furniture to go will be my 1940s Waterfall Vanity.  I thought it was interesting that my "vanity" would be one of the last to go.  I got it about the same time as the dresser and have been using it to get ready for the day for almost 30 years.  I still love it, but I am ready to let it go.  It has served me well.  The funny thing is that I wasn't sure how I'd be able to organize my make-up and toiletries without the lovely drawers in my vanity.  Yes, I forgot that I was a Professional Organizer and there are shelves and drawers in my bathroom.  Silly me!