One Writer's Joy In Life's Middle Years

2012-01-18T09:17:00.000-08:00

Hi, my name is Diane Rosier Miles, and I'm a woman in the middle of a lot of change. I'm a wife. I'm a mom. I'm a writer. And I'm in the process of remixing my roles, now that I'm "of a certain age" and in the middle of my travels on this earth.

My life has been a juggling act of all my responsibilities. Frankly, a lot of the time it has felt like a circus. I occasionally drop on my head one of the roles I'm supposed to balance with unfaltering coordination. And it isn't unusual for me to be bitten by one of life's untamable beasts that isn't supposed to be part of the show. I often wish that I were the circus master, or at least the lovely ballerina who gets to ride the stallion around the three-ring spectacle. If I can't be in control, at least I can be pretty, right? Hmmm. Another role to rethink as a woman at mid-life.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, cue the trumpets. Mama got a brand new blog.

As I reflect on who I want to become, the first thing I'm going to do is celebrate ordinary middle-age as an important phase worth living. I want to enjoy what I have, now, and not grieve for what is past. At maturity, now that everybody and everything I was responsible for feeding, seeding, cleaning, and capturing can take care of itself for five minutes, I want to move forward with new insights. I am grateful for having come so far and not having been eaten by one of the lions.

Here is a list of the mid-life realizations I'll take with me from today forward:

* Although it is no longer springtime in my lifespan, fall is enjoyable, too.

* While it's exciting in youth to launch a career, with all of the self-discovery that entails, I'm glad I've had the decades to understand what I'm truly good at, and what really interests me.

* I no longer aspire to be a perfect wife, mother, size 8, homeowner, or employee. I'm grateful that during all those days that I did try to be perfect, it appears I didn't make any permanent mistakes or cause lasting harm to my family, my body, my other bottom line, or my friends.

* I am grateful that God in his mercy waits for me to have a cup of coffee before he speaks to my heart in the shower, where the ordinary ritual of preparing for a day is like a baptism that cleans up my emotions, too. If I couldn't have my coffee first, before God shows me his plans for my life and my shortcomings, I would probably go right down the drain. Amen.

I'll write some more as soon as I can. Hope you stop by again.

Write Along The Way

One Writer's Joy In Life's Middle Years