Carpe Diem!

...for those of you who don't know any better... that's Latin...  it means 'seize the day'!

Or, if you live in MY head..... Grab the opportunity!

I'm writing this from the beach.... not my home.    An opportunity presented itself to go to our timeshare at the beach... yes, I know I just got back from a beach.    My family is tied up and couldn't come.  Ordinarily I wouldn't even think about leaving them.... but it occurred to me... WHY NOT?

My husband is grown and capable... my children at home are not really children.. they are men themselves.   There is no reason that I couldn't (or even SHOULDN'T) pack up and take advantage of this opportunity.

Anyway, it's kind of weird.... I'm all alone.  I have a condo to myself for 3 nights and 2 days....    ME!  I am almost never alone..... and I rarely leave home.  And when I do.. I spend a lot of time cleaning and preparing ahead of time so that those I leave behind don't have extra work.  But this time?   Well, I packed my laptop, my work, my crocheting and my books.... and said good-bye.  I'm not sure who is more surprised - my family... or me :-)

The thing is .... I have always said... 'I can't leave them... they need me.'    So I have never considered going anywhere without at least one of my children.   But it's not true any more.  Not that they don't need me.... but it's not the same... and maybe it's time I rethink possibilities.  Because often what I am ABLE to do now is really NOT dependent on my family..... I'm just so used to it that I accept limitations that are no longer valid.  My life has changed when I wasn't looking.

And then maybe I'm just a little bit afraid to do something different.  Something alone.... on my own terms.  Whatever I do or don't do for the next few days..... I am totally responsible.   It is totally up to me!  THIS time, I cannot say, "I WOULD have done this but I couldn't because....(insert name here)".   

So I have set a challenge for myself to do a few of the things I have always SAID I wanted to do but never did because my men were not interested .... I will share with you later whatever I choose to do... but I have a question for you:

Is there something that YOU want to do.... that you are NOT doing BECAUSE of a reason that is no longer valid?  Are you using expired excuses or blaming people unfairly for your own reluctance to do something new?