Old Friends are Still the Best!

Another lovely day in paradise and lunch with a friend. This time my former boss, who moved here when our company tanked 18 months ago. While the rest of us scrambled for new jobs in our "old" city, she and hubby took off for warmer climes and moved to Florida. They do have family here, including a mother who is happy to help look after two active little ones, but it also gave them a chance to start over with new priorities and new plans.

In the past, hubby had been Mr. Mom, while she was VP of our corporation and worked like it. Later as the children grew older, he joined us as a part time employee, while still coordinating the family schedule. Now, they have switched jobs. It is he who works full time outside of the home, and she who coordinates it all and spends the extra time with the kids. A win for both, I would say!

We met for lunch and a long stroll in Downtown Disney - only the mouse folks would find a way to provide food and shopping in a Magic Kingdom-like setting, so that one could enjoy buying over-priced food and trinkets.

It was fun to catch up after more than 18 months of the occasional Facebook exchange and a few brief emails. Her life has changed way more than mine, but I enjoyed hearing her new insights and seeing her so relaxed with her life and her plans. I was never sure that she would be happy as the stay-at-home mom, but she has carved out a new niche for herself, just as she did years ago when promoted to VP. A new side for this multi-faceted woman, who now collects projects to do, like she used to collect proposals to write.

Perhaps the most important thing she told me tho, was of her new appreciation of her husband and his work. After years of being the primary bread-winner, she has a new respect for his role as main provider, and for how hard it is for the single income family. Like many others she is learning to live within her means in this new economy, and to find that it really fits well and is a comfortable place to be. Another Wise Woman.

And, I really did need those mis-matched socks!