I said “goodbye.” It was a different kind of goodbye than what we had shared with each other in the past. It felt more finite. I knew that THIS goodbye meant that I was transitioning into a new version of me!
I woke up this morning having to will myself to get out of bed. This is highly unusual for me as I normally jump to the occasion to start a new day. But on this particular day, I had convinced myself that the minutes wouldn’t continue to tick off the clock if my feet didn’t’ hit the floor. Ultimately, my weak bladder betrayed me and I rolled out of bed dreading the hours ahead of me.
This day was the first day I didn’t try to beat the GPS. I simply cherished each and every second I could win back with my daughter, Ellie, as I proceeded to settle her into her first college dorm at Auburn University.
The saying “goodbye” was the hard part. It was also the moment I realized my role in her life had changed. I began writing this short message on this very day. I’m choosing to embrace what this means not only for Ellie and I, but what it means for any relationship I’ve ever invested in.
Relationships evolve. With each passing decision we make every single day we are impacting our relationships. The obvious example is our family, but the more obscure example is our relationships with friends, colleagues, mentors and mentees. Learning to adapt to the evolution of relationship is the challenge.
It’s now a month and a half since that goodbye. Forty-nine days to be exact. Consciously creating my new relationship with Ellie is at the heart of my evolution. I know maintaining the healthy relationship I want won’t happen by chance. I’m making daily decisions regarding my actions, my reactions, and the rare encounters to invest in my relationship evolution.
You’re probably trying to connect the dots by this point. While you may not have an 18-year-old child living 755 miles away, you certainly are in the midst of a relationship evolution. My 49 days of evolution have provided me the opportunity to share this simple advice; head and heart! Find that balance.
How will your relationships evolve? Are you ready to consciously co-create a relationship with your partner, your peers, your friends, your family? I’m learning to be the best version of this new motherhood that I can be. I have yet to perfect it, and probably won’t. But I’m embracing the relationship evolution!