Sit With Me Awhile

There are some things about starting over in your mid-30s that no one really prepares you for.

For example…

Which side of the bed are you supposed to sleep on?

For years I slept on one side because that’s just where I slept. That was the system. That was the arrangement.

Then suddenly I realized something one night.

I could sleep wherever I wanted.

So naturally I tried the other side.

Then the next night I slept in the middle of the bed like some kind of queen who had just discovered independence.

It turns out the middle is actually the best spot.

Another thing no one prepares you for is the sudden appearance of men.

And I mean sudden.

It’s almost like they come lunging out of the bushes the moment they hear the words “recently single.”

Men I have never met in my life suddenly feel very comfortable offering classic pick-up lines that I’m pretty sure have existed since 1987.

“Hey beautiful.”

“Smile more.”

“You look like trouble.”

I’ve reached the point where I mostly just stand there thinking…

Sir, I am buying cereal and fruit snacks for my child. This is not the nightclub atmosphere you think it is.

And then there’s grocery shopping.

This one is surprisingly complicated.

For years I cooked like I was feeding a whole household.

Now it’s mostly just me and my son since my 18-year-old daughter has reached that stage of life where she appears occasionally like a mysterious and beautiful houseguest.

So I find myself staring at recipes thinking:

Who exactly is this meal for?

Because apparently I still cook like I’m preparing dinner for a small village.

The truth is, life right now is strange.

It’s different than the life I once had.

But there are moments — quiet ones and ridiculous ones — where I catch myself laughing.

Not because everything is perfect.

But because sometimes the only thing you can do when life completely changes is look around and think…

Well, this is new.

And maybe new isn’t the worst thing in the world.