Misery Without The Company

Five years ago, back in the Hoosier Homeland, Mike called me at work to tell me that he was being downsized after 13 years with the company. Mike found a new job, in a new field, in Pella, IA, and we spent six months apart with him in Iowa and me and the kids finishing up with school, volleyball club, selling the house, etc. It was tough, and I remember praying for strength not only for myself and the teenagers, but for Mike, too. I was also very proud of him for taking care of his family!

Fast forward to today when my hubby was calling to see if I'd be on time at 5 to pick him up, he was anxious to see me. When I picked him up, he got in the car and apologized for being such a grump lately. I had subscribed his moodiness to a stressful project he's been working on and some painful gout flares. So I'm not suspicious at this point, but he continues to tell me that they'd been informed in October that the company was going to be cutting people. Ugh, deja vu!

So you don't have to wait until the very end of the story, like I did, Mike's job is safe!

I told Mike I wished he'd shared with me earlier, and he told me that he didn't want both of us to be worrying about it. My sweetie knows me well as I'm a worrier and a planner, so if I'd known, I would have spent the last month fretting and planning and preparing for the worst, all on top of a very busy and stressful time at my work.

When you've known someone for nearly 25 years, it's easy to become complacent and selfish without even realizing it. Me, I'm guilty and was reminded of that today by a wonderful man who has been literally miserable for the last month so I didn't have to be.

So look around your life and do something truly selfless to make someone's heart smile!

Chelsea's 21st Birthday...Bring on the Tissues!

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to blog about the maelstrom of emotions I'm experiencing today...my first born's 21st birthday. Chelsea Marie Grieger was actually due Nov. 13, and I remember Mike and I talking about how it was too bad she couldn't be born closer to his birthday on the 1st. I should have known that she was planning to be a daddy's girl when she arrived several weeks early and very close to Mike's birthday. Little-Miss-Impatient came out with her eyes wide open, looking around, ready to take on the world!

I think I started to realize just how grown up she was in January when we took Chelsea to the airport for her semester abroad in London. I tried so hard to find something profound to say, some good advice, words of wisdom, but I kept coming to the conclusion that I just didn't have anything else to teach her...she was all set to take on the world, literally, and I told her so. Ten months later, I'm even more sure that my little girl has transformed into a wonderful young woman.

Now for those emotions...I know it's lame of me to start out with the negative, but boy am I afraid to let her go! I just want to hug her and keep her safe from the world forever. At the same time I'm filled with pride, joy, love, admiration, hope, expectation, anticipation...the list goes on and on!

Of all the things I've done in my life, I would have to say, unequivocally, that being a mother had been both my greatest challenge and my greatest reward. And I have to thank my beautiful, strong-willed, self-reliant girl for getting me started! I love you, Chelsea...happy birthday baby!

Naming my blog

I'd been thinking of blogging for awhile now, but silly as it sounds, I couldn't pin down a name for the blog. Finally, this weekend the GPS and a hotel key card helped me out. While traveling to Maryland this past weekend for my daughter's volleyball tournament, the GPS pronounced Maryland like two separate words, Mary land. I joked to my friend with a giggle, "I live in 'Mary' land everyday." Then later my hotel key card had 'Welcome to Maryland' on it and it just clicked. So welcome to my blog, my thoughts, my feelings, and whatever else comes out.

Welcome to Mary-land!