Roots can be good.  I’m not talking about the zipper that appears on my head every six weeks but the roots that tug at us every so often and remind us who we are and where we came from.  With a special birthday coming ’round the bend, I’ve been feeling my roots pulling at me lately. 

When I was in the working world, CNN like many companies had this little thing called the “leave of absence” for those who were burned out and needed a break from the fast pace of television news.  Well, not too long ago I found myself, in my smallest voice, telling my husband of ten years that I thought I needed to take one of those.  The carpools, laundry, homework, sibling rivalry rut was starting to wear me down.  Since we met in the newsroom, that was all I needed to say. 

So.. a few weeks and much planning later I found myself headed back to Ohio University..where I graduated many many years ago and had not been back since.  All I had was a day but it was truly a gift.  I felt all the excitement of seeing the campus for the first time with none of the fear (will people like me? will I graduate in 4 years? will I gain the freshman 15?) I had the pleasure of meeting my favorite Journalism professor for coffee. As we talked and walked around campus, I felt like I was once again trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.  It is easy to lose yourself when some days it’s a struggle just to get everyone’s teeth brushed and find them a matching pair of socks.  There will always be a list of things I don’t accomplish each day.  Right now it includes: making the beds, emptying the dishwasher, balancing the checkbook and finally getting some photos in the albums. But looking at the bigger picture, I like to remind myself that as moms, we are doing important work here.  And there are amazing little things that happen each day- if we pay attention.  

My J-Prof. was one of a few people who has encouraged me to start a blog.  And while I won’t be writing breaking news here, they’re my stories to tell.  It is my hope that you will find pieces of yourself in them too.   

Our roots are calling us..and whatever it is- our family, an old friend, our writing, our faith, or just a state of mind, we must get back to it and see what grows.