WE ARE OFFICIALLY BACK ON THE ROAD!!! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself!!! I am also so very grateful for the time off (about 2 months). During this time off, we stayed with our kids. Each one of them have been so supportive, generous, excited, patient and loving. So grateful for our oldest daughter opening up her home, providing a room for us to stay in and the time we needed for Joshua to adequately recover from his surgery <3
Throughout the course of our time off from singing, traveling, meeting new people, writing new music, it was like taking a glimpse back in time. I pictured what my life used to be like before we jumped into chasing our dreams together. I watched as my kids, each of them in a different stages of life, living their lives like pictures from my own past. Our oldest daughter raising 4 children and going to school herself, attempting to balance each child's schedule is like walking a tight rope between biological parents, step parents, grandparents with toddlers, a pre-teen, a teenager and one on the way is quite simply controlled chaos in action lol. The pressures that her and her husband (who is also starting a brand new business) handle daily is immeasurable. They are both learning to become a united team and they are doing an amazing job together. While staying with them I could easily see things I could have done differently while I faced some of the same challenges. It was at these times I would feel frustration when I would suggest a solution and know that my very capable daughter was not going to do things the way I would do them LOL. Breath....She gets to learn too and I get to take a breath and be relieved that this is not my circus and those are not my monkeys!!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE spending time with all of my kiddos, my grand babies and I also love the freedom of not being their parent! I don't have to make major decisions in their lives. Instead, I get to trust that I raised my children to the best of my ability to be loving, kind, generous, patient adults and I am confident that they will raise their children the same way <3 This experience provided lots of opportunities for me to learn and grow as well. I am practicing patience, grace and gratitude...I am not perfect, I loose my patience, I jump to conclusions and solutions instead of allowing others the space they need to learn for themselves and I take things for granted....I too am learning. I am so very proud of my kids and their ability to keep learning!!!
During, this process I was reminded that my children don't need me to be in their lives on a daily basis. They are capable of figuring things out for themselves and their families without my input. By allowing them the space to learn I also get to celebrate their victories with them when they chose to share them!! They have also learned too that I am here to support them anytime they ask for it...they always know where to find me ;)
I learned so much about myself during our time off. For instance, the thought of returning to our small town full time was frightening LOL. Although I love spending time with family and friends, I yearn to be exploring and traveling. The longer we stayed the more stagnant I felt...I missed singing and performing soooooo much. I really can't imagine myself doing anything else, at least for now. I had never realized just how much I loved what we do until I wasn't doing it anymore. I now know more than ever that I am living in my purpose!!! After performing at a church for the first time in months....my heart was sooooo filled up by the experience of just singing again....all I could think of, how can I do more of this and play bigger? I don't have the answers yet and I know that as long as I keep living my passion and live in my joy the universe will meet my needs!!!
By living my dreams, my insatiable desire to keep learning and moving, I get to really LIVE IN MY PURPOSE!! I truly get to be the example to my kids and my grand babies that I have a life worth LIVING!!! My purpose is to "Let my light shine through" and what better way to do that than doing what I love to do!!!