Proactive

Holidays are trickier as I grow older.

First there was Christmas when I was divorced and all the children were grown up and gone.

Then Easter, Halloween, Thanksgiving and birthdays all spent alone once in a while. I quickly learned to invite myself to friend's homes and was welcomed with open arms.

I also learned to celebrate myself, which was simpler than with family and friends, but not the same.

There was a huge adjustment in both the way I thought and the way I responded to every situation. I had to learn to be proactive and not sit around waiting for anyone to rescue me.

Now I'm taking these lessons and using them to fill in more of my life -- not just the holidays -- and summer is the perfect time to do that. There are free concerts everywhere, parks all over, things to do whenever I am willing to expend the energy to do them.

Life is out there, but it is necessary to engage.