My most important relationship.

The kid-free time that our families have allowed us to have has been a real gift, Tarzan and I have had the chance to reconnect. All the ‘down time’ really has spoiled me; I’m a little worried that I’ll be a fish out of water when Cheetah comes home. Out of all the perks, I think I’ve have enjoyed all the opportunities for introspection the most. When I was younger I was adamant that I would not change for a man and once I had children I would fight tooth and nail to never lose myself in my daily roles, as I did an ‘self-inventory’ this week I was pleasantly surprised. There have been quite a few changes in the day to day life of Jane Smith but she’s still alive and kicking.

Finding the changes was a bit difficult; I really had to take a closer look at the big picture to unearth the ‘improved’ Jane Smith. Adding Cheetah to the mix means my daily routine has to be kick started pretty early in the morning now, so the night owl in me only comes out on the weekends; bed time is 10:30pm now. There are very few ‘fend for yourselves’ nights at the Smith abode nowadays, we’ve replaced it with balanced home-cooked meals followed by a fresh fruit dessert. Instead of saving all the chores for the weekend we do a load of laundry and a chore a day. I still relish in the joy of introspection, but now it’s focused on me being the example of a well-rounded person for Cheetah to emulate. And lastly, my obsession with shoes and purses has been quelled and replaced with the need for saving and spending responsibly; I am actually enjoying my 1st new purse in over a year.

How I know the ‘good ole’ Jane is still present is a lot easier to identify; maybe because I am far more familiar with her. Even though I am a few decades older, I still enjoy my top 3 things in the world: jaunts to the grocery store (going down every isle), adding cheese to all my meals and snacks, listening to music that sooths the soul and wakes the conscious. I am a Taurus through and through so creature comforts and the finer things in life are all included in my daily existence: A good meal accompanied by great conversation makes even the worse days more manageable; no foot is complete without a weekly pedicure and filing; and quality time with my bed snuggled in my cool buttery sheets, devouring a library book, praying for a thunderstorm are just a few examples. On the days where even Prozac won’t help, there is nothing like spending the evening distressing in the kitchen, even though occasionally I fail at that too. I still long to go on adventures all around the world, I am thrilled to be taking Cheetah on his 1st plane ride this September; I hope to pass on my travel-bug to him.

My grandmother always told me,” if you didn’t like spending time with yourself how can you expect anyone else to?” and she was right. The most important relationship any of us will ever have is the one with ourselves. After 32 years it’s nice to know that I still enjoy my own company. And while I may be very funny, I am making peace with the fact that Cheetah may be funnier. I guess every super-hero has to have a sidekick, I wonder if he’d take my application.