Life goes on...

We just returned from a surprise man shower. (That sounds funny) My stepson will be closing on his first home on Wednesday so his mom arranged a surprise shower to help him get started on this new venture.

As I sat by the bonfire this evening I watched with detached wonder. I remember buying my first house and the excitement that goes with it. Here I am 17 years later and boy have things changed. I'm watching my son toss a ball with his step dad and step brother. My hubby's ex-wife is giving me small gifts and offering plants from her garden. Her new husband is showing someone the pond he built next to the house my hubby built. The step grandbaby is coming to me with muddy hands to be cleaned. We're a mix-matched bunch--they're a new branch in the family tree. Because blood or not, they are part of me now.

I've been to this family's gatherings before. I like my hubby's ex-wife and she's nice to my son and I. When I've mentioned this to my family they look at me like I've grown five eyes. How could I go to the ex's house? Am I nuts? So I was highly amused when we had the BBQ at my house earlier this month and the ex and her hubby arrived. I escorted them to my family and introduced her. I saw the widening of their eyes and started laughing. I then turned to her and told her my family thought this situation was strange. My sister explained, "oh yeah, if you were Mexican both of you would be wrestling on the floor right now". They liked her, she liked them.

My ex hubby and I haven't reached that point. He was invited to our BBQ but didn't come. Personally I was happy he didn't. I don't think I'm ready. I still carry the guilt of a failed marriage. I'll get over it in time and maybe one day I'll be sharing plants with his new wife.

But for now, it's cool how life goes on when you firmly believe it's over. Kinda reminds me of those old horror movies where it's down to two people surrounded by zombies and everything will be ok if they can survive until sunrise. There's always a happy ending when the sun rises.

So I suppose the lesson is that no matter how many zombies you encounter in life, there's always hope since the sun always rises.