Change

My graduate education is done. The family visited and left. In fact, this morning I got up at three to see my Mom and Pop off. (Pretty darn early if you ask me). They were excited to beat the rush hour traffic. I went back to bed. 

It was lovely to have them all here. My niece Nikayla and my India family were missing in person, but they crossed my mind and heart as a walked across the stage. 

Today is the chapter page of my lives book. I do not have a simple linear story, mine is complex.  

Here are the old chapters: 

Chapter One: New tree, New baby, New Dad

Chapter Two: Playing with Bonnie, Baking cookies, Dancing in socks, Heidi.   

Chapter Three: Mancino's, Theater, and Marines

Chapter Four: Enlistment: The Air Force, Marriage, Divorce, Love, and Tommy Dog. 

Chapter Five: Cactus, Heat, Art School, Hikes, and Friendships. 

Chapter Six: Women's Movement, Jerry, and a Bachelors Degree.  

Chapter Seven: Self Discovery, Crone Friend, Hammock, Stars, Yoga, and Freedom. 

Chapter Eight: ESBF: Family work, pay checks, complex relationships, loving self and the dessert. 

Chapter Nine: Marriage, Lilly, India, Love, Loss, Lost 

Chapter Ten: Grad School 

Chapter Eleven: After Grad School. 

On today I see the big chapter number 11 and a small heading that says: 

After Grad School in a pretty script. 

The pages after this are empty. What is next? What to keep? What to get rid of? 

A woman I worked with at my last internship said something lovely: "Knowledge and education is just becoming more human, Your purpose is not just to be something like a "mail man" or a "social worker", it is a way of being in the world,  perhaps more compassionate ." 

Perhaps this chapter can say,

 After Grad School: Compassion, WE SHALL SEE. 

MY RAIN GUTTERS ARE LEAKING FROM THE MIDDLE AND IT HAS BEEN RAINING FOR DAYS.  

HERES TO BEING A GROWN UP.