Opportunity Knocks

 Slowly but surely our lives are getting back to some sort of normalcy. 

 I read somewhere recently, "What is normal?" 

But I think we had been living a normal life.  Our 'normal'.  Dad working, kids playing sports and having activities and friends, excelling in school, going on adventures, and mom taking care of the home and family, and 2 dogs.  Things change like people who come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime!  And time marches on.....

It has been a stress filled summer, and the extreme mid-west heat didn't help matters.  We've had rain now, probably more than 3 inches in the past week. I actually got to mow the lawn!! Plants and bushes and grasses are starting to come back to life after being dry and dusty for months.  It's a time for re-birth... even though we are inching toward fall.  Strange, but things happen for a reason!

I'm missing Bubba, he's only gone back to the University of Iowa for his sophomore year for 5 days. 

His room is empty... well, not really... I said to someone... there are still some hockey dust bunnies around the baseboards and there is a funky 'boy' smell in the carpet.  He left stuff on the walls and there is about an inch of dust on the books and hockey pucks still on his shelves that surround some dusty window blinds.  Old t-shirts litter the closet shelves and electrical cords are popping out of the wall.   I  don't so mind the dust... and the room can be cleaned, soon.... I like looking in it to feel his presence!

 Before he left, he handed me back some of the cards I've made for him over the past years.  He liked them, but doesn't want to keep them...he's not sentimental like that,  he's moved on.  Above is his 19th birthday card.... I designed it to represent what his room looked like when I would open the door!  Sadly... he didn't get it!  He's got the future in his hands now!  I think I've raised two pretty wonderful kids!!!!  I think if opportunity knocks on his apartment door, he really has to take hold of it....because this life can take him anywhere.... he just has to take on some passion and take a little risk!!!

Inside the birthday wish pops up..... will he take the opportunities that are present for him in college.  I guess it can be a scary thing... what if you take the wrong ones?  A quote I saw somewhere, and I'm paraphrasing, "I don't regret what I did, I regret what i didn't do when I had the chance ". 

Opportunity knocks, will you answer the door?