time for everything and everyone

After dancing two nights in a row, I am tired. Tired yet happy. I am glad to be back to dancing by myself. It's Saturday night, and all I did was setup the TurboTax on the computer. Didn't even file yet. That's okay. That refund is just around the corner.

Even though I had two great offers to go out, I just knew it was a veg night.

Sure enough, I was rewarded with a wonderful phone call from Aunt Ellen.

Aunt Ellen is my mother's cousin. She is 15 years older than me, somewhere between an aunt and a cousin. Aunt Ellen also has two daughters that I am very close to b/c I went to graduate school near their home 10 years ago. I have watched these two babies grow into young ladies. The special bond w/Aunt Ellen's family is partly due to the fact that she is divorced, like me. We are our own Little Women when together.

Aunt Ellen called me tonight to thank me for spending time with her daughters the weekend after NY's when she chose to spend more time abroad visiting her mother. She had hired a babysitter for that week/weekend, but I decided to visit and make myself the designated guardian for that weekend. It was tough to have to chauffeur and cook and agonize about whether I made the right choice to take them to an R-rated movie.

I didn't know what to say when she thanked me. I am the one who is grateful. That weekend reminded me that I am still quite the confirmed bachelorette. Nothing makes one enjoy one's freedom like responsibilities.

At the same time, I am so grateful for that chance to spend time with two very busy high schoolers. My cousins have full load of classes, piano lessons, Chinese school, tutoring, band and even volunteering at the Orange County Children's Hospital. The honor was all mine to spend time with two very mature young women.

I am also grateful for Aunt Ellen. She inspires me. Our hour long conversations have been better than ever because we can respect each other's differences. She is a stay-at-home mom, and I am a single career woman. Her amazing cooking inspired me to be ever more creative with mine. She gutted her home and transformed it to a beautiful yet practical space, something I now want to do with mine.

It was absolutely the right choice to stay home and rest b/c I was duly rewarded with the most precious thing: ccnnecting with someone I love.