Thriving Single

The sun was beating down at the perfect angle; brightening the colors of the yellow wildflowers and showcasing the dancing grass being tussled by the wind.  The same wind felt refreshing and reminded me autumn is just around the corner.  We decided to embark on a Sunday morning bike ride through the trails around the corner of our home.  We don't get out on these trails often enough, but today our itinerary was blank, and as time passes me by quickly I realize there's no better time than now.

As my boy, no longer little but not yet an adult, peddled in front of me I felt as if I was clubbed upside the head.  There are only so many more bike rides we will take together.  I notice how, as each year passes, the hills become that much easier for him to conquer.  His muscles are becoming more defined.  As I am growing older, so is he.  As we wound through the trail he let his hoodie unzip, and it spread out behind him as if it were his super hero cape.  What he doesn't know is he's my super hero, always has been and always will be.

Looking around as we were biking by, there was calmness surrounding us with the faint sound of the highway in the distance.  We were tucked inside a bit of preserved nature, yet just outside the gates bustled the city.  Our pace kept that of the flying swallows.  I can only imagine what the land around us has witnessed.  Ever changing landscapes that gracefully flow from season to season.  Countless different varieties of wild life who have sought refugee among the brush alongside the creek.  We're not much different than those who have sheltered here, for we find shelter nearby as well.

Letting the here and now seep through my bones, I know I am where I need to be.  I know I'm doing what I need to do for myself and my family.  Surviving single isn't a curse, but more or less a blessing.  The only "single" attribute in my life is that I don't have a romantic partner to share my bed with.  I don't have a constant stream of financial support to accompany the long hours I spend at work to earn my own living wage.  And without that partner, I don't have someone to run my thoughts past, or ask for a second opinion on my choice apparel.  But what I have today is far greater.  I have a family; a boy growing up faster than I can blink my eyes.  I have a lovely little dog who is spunky as hell and keeps me on my toes more than a toddler would.  I have a house I call home, and a place to dig around in the dirt.  I have gardens I can visit daily, and say hello to hummingbirds who flutter but three feet from me to try their luck for nectar from the flowers I've planted and kept healthy.

I'm not a religious person, but I know I'm blessed.  I know I'm much more fortunate than those around me.  Even when yearning for more, I know within my heart of hearts what I have is truly amazing.  It is happy.  It is home.  It is my life, thriving single.