My life is pretty ordinary, although some very extraordinary things have happened and continue to happen nearly every day. I am a single parent of three sons, a teacher, a technology and fitness enthusiast, an avid reader and writer, but perhaps most of all, a child of the earth. At every turn in life, every setback and every curve ball thrown at my head, I just duck, laugh it off and move on!!!

People tell me I am an inspiration to them, yet I am sure I am just making it up as I go along! I spent many years thinking..."They will be on to me soon! I have no great philosophy to share! Duck and laugh and run! That's all I got!"

Then I got hit with a curve ball. And after some regrouping and a lot of love and support from freinds, I got up...laughed it off (yes I laughed!!!) and I moved on to where I am at. But, in the meantime, I got up armed with a plan! My philosophy of life!

What I got hit with was a divorce. I will only share this with you not because it even really matters at this point, but just so you know WHY I came up with a plan. I came up with a plan because I HAD TO! Just to share a little bit.. Four years ago, my then husband served me breakfast in bed two days after Christmas and said, "Umm....Im leaving...I need a break" There was no arguing or disagreements and also no stopping him. The only indication that there was something wrong with our relationship was that, according to him, I was 'crazy' and 'paranoid' about serveral observations I had made about a certain woman and how she seemed to pop up on family outings, and how I got mysterious phone calls whenever he wasn't home (and before I had caller ID). I did mention that I am a student and child of this earth, so I took those words very seriously and reflected upon them...even contemplated them as being valid. Only after he was gone for a few weeks did it even occur to me to check the cellphone bill and noticed the 10-times-a-day phone calls to the same number for the six months of bills I still was able to access. I handed the number to my best friend to call, and we got her name. Yes, the same woman who always popped up everywhere.

Infidelity hurts a lot. The betrayal is so painful and humiliating. It is, perhaps, forgivable. I thought about forgiving that. But, for me, what was unforgivable was that he told ME I was crazy...and that I was paranoid. That was the deal breaker. The difference between paranoia and harrassment is that one is imagined and one is real. What I had been experiencing for years was REAL and I was told it was imagined. When your spouse ...the closest person to you...tells you that your reality isn't accurate....you start to doubt everything. It was especially disgusting to me that he would mess with my sanity, when he of all people, knew that the responsiblities of raising OUR children was entirely mine! Deal breaker! Game over! Check please! If you asked him about our divorce, he would, and has said, "this is what YOU wanted." Whatever...

After the smoke settled, I realized....the greatest of all life's lessons can come wrapped in some very ugly packages!!! Those lessons are what I will share with you here on this blog. I hope you enjoy.

My theory and philosophy of living: Living the 10 F's !!!!!

Lesson One: Flexibility
(to be posted soon!)

~ RAW SEA~