Your 40s are weird, man. 

Everyone is busy and what consumes each person is different. 

Some of your friends are juggling working full time with raising a family while others are working part time while also caring for their ailing parents. Mix and match, as you will. 

The friends your kids had in elementary school may no longer still be their friends in middle or high school so the friendships you forged with the parents isn’t as easily accessible as it used to be. 

All the while your coping with an identity crisis. Who am I outside of parenthood? Do I still identify with the person I was before? If not, how have I changed and where does that put me now?

Moreover, how do I even make new friends or properly maintain the ones I’ve had for years?

Where do I want to go and how do I get there?

Is who I am becoming the person I am most proud to be? If not, how to pivot?

I find myself constantly reassessing my current state, challenging myself to evaluate whether I’m on the right path. 

What I do know for sure is the importance of authenticity, particularly in the face of an ever growing artificial world. 

I’m in this weird grey area (which I always hate) but I’ve been here before and know that it’s simply a temporary transition space for what’s next. 

I’m approaching the 10th anniversary of this New Leaf Parenting blog so I guess I’ll continue to do what I’ve always done to process: I write.