Wednesday was my daughter’s birthday. Today she received a promotion and a big raise; second time in two years. I can’t believe my baby girl is twenty-four…establishing herself in the world. 

Wednesday was my son’s last day of work. Today he and my daughter-by-marriage boarded a flight from Chicago to San Francisco; bound for the Stanford School of Business for the next two years. I can’t believe my firstborn is twenty-six already…making important life choices with his wife. 

We all encounter transitions in life. Some easy; some harder. There are times to take chances. Times to retreat. Times to build. Times to conserve. Times to begin anew. And times to bring things to a close. 

Sometimes transitions come as a result of happy lifecycle events (like a graduation or a wedding), but others could come from divorce, death, illness or other misfortune. Of course some life changes might be random (e.g. winning the lottery) and others may opportunistic (e.g. getting a new job.) Regardless, transitions should be embraced with energy, passion, focus and a commitment to see them through. 

Others in our lives may question the choices and decisions we make as we travel along our personal paths. In my opinion, as long as we assess the options available and are willing to accept the consequences of our actions, we should stay the course and disregard the naysayers. 

As my kids travel through their twenties, I am very proud of all their post-college and very recent accomplishments. I’m a bit envious too as I recall the times I idled through that “young adult” decade — with way fewer resources and confidences. Sometimes I’d like to throw the clutch into reverse and then sightsee down the road less travelled this time around. 

Now I face my own transitions as I navigate and explore uncharted waters in a vastly different decade. I’m an empty-nester career woman who thrives on change. Even at my age, I embrace and value the exciting options that come with pushing the envelope and trying new things. 

But this blog isn’t about me. It’s about my kids and the exciting times that lie ahead of them. There will be successes and, most certainly, challenges as well. I look forward to reading and following along in their next chapters…maybe they’ll let me help write a few too.