36 is here!

So, I turned 36 on Friday. Where did I think I would be at 36 when I was 18 and dreaming about my future. I know I imagined I would be married and a mom. I know at 18 I imagined that I would be married to someone different than who I am now...and that's a good thing. I was a senior in high school and dreaming of going off to college. I knew I wanted to be a social worker. After I went off to college, so much of my life changed. I did become a social worker, but didn't get married until I was 26. I was a mom at age 27 1/2 and no longer a social worker. This is my last year of being a complete stay-at-home mom. Our youngest will go to preschool next year. Now 18 years later I am thinking about what my future will hold. What do I want to be when I grow up? What do I want to do with my time when the kids are in school? Who am I if I am not "just a mom"? It isn't that I haven't thought about things I could do, but just which of those are the best fit for me. Being a mom has been my best fit. No matter what career I dreamed about or what college classes I took, all I ever wanted to be was a mom. How can I do anything to top that? How can I ever get that same fulfillment from any other job choice out there? So, as I move through my 36th year, I will look for those small opportunities that may step in front of me. I will cherish those mom moments because I know before I am ready, those hugs and kisses each morning and night will soon be "see ya mom" as they run out the door. But, most of all I will be grateful for the fact that I have the ability to choose what to do with my life and take which ever path is leading me forward!