And, the universe shifts back again...

My son had to do his first project on the planets towards the end of his kindergarten year. He chose to make a model of Pluto, deciding that was his favorite planet. The voting scientific community has now decided that Pluto should not be named as a planet, a move that has a lot of scientists up in arms and might change all we have been taught about our solar system over the years, not to mention a TON of textbooks out there.

There are many people who believe that lives are aligned with certain planets, and those alignments help determine our fates and our futures. I'm not a huge believer in planetary alignment determining my destiny, actually. But, I do believe that things happen in your life for a reason. God works in mysterious ways to even the balance in our lives when we need it the most. This week, I'm finding my balance again as things shift back into place in unexpected ways.

My visits twice daily to the bus stop shocked me back into a reality that I'd abandoned during a summer of mainly family time. That reality is that I don't really "fit" with many of the at-home moms on my street. My planetary alignment is way off with these ladies, I've decided. After witnessing the public snubbings and then listening to the gossip mills starting to crank up after only the first day of school, I felt annoyed and already tired of it. How could I spend another year watching this stuff go on and trying to stay out of it, but not so far out that my kids are exiled out of our "solar system?"

Saturn wasn't in the school bus zone either, when my son started off the school year by committing social suicide, choosing to sit at the front of the bus near the kindergarteners. He was completely oblivious that it was "uncool" and most of the 1st and 2nd graders sit at the middle to the back of the bus. I worried that this could be a bad start to his year, as I watched these kids form playdates excluding him. But, every day, he has come home with a smile on his face and I genuinely think he's enjoying first grade a lot. We've initiated playdates and are starting to have more social opportunities as well, which he is happy about too.

This Monday, Mars might have been in my friendship zone, as I went to a Bible study/book discussion group at my church. Somehow the conversation shifted to dealing with difficult neighbors, and I shared my frustrations. I got back some great advice and feedback. But, what helped the most was to talk to these women who live a lot like I do, and realize that they also see the same unnecessary cattiness that goes on in suburbia. It was so refreshing to talk with people who don't like that sort of stuff and hear how they avoid it or deal with it head on. I walked away invigorized and determined to just be myself and let the chips fall where they may.

And Uranus and Neptune? Could those tiny planets be responsible for my needing to re-align my own personal life? I need a new focus now that my daughter is going to Mother's Day Out two mornings a week. Granted, I have a list a mile long of things I could be doing--like sorting out closets, working out, scrapbooking, and cleaning out my scrapbooking area. And, I will be doing those things as well. But, what pumped me back into to orbit most of all, was finding out that a local quarterly magazine needed freelance writers and they were LOOKING for at-home writers AND paying decently per article! I immediately started updating my dusty old resume and have hopes of pitching some ideas to them today. I may be getting too hopeful with all of this, but if it works out, it will be the ideal way for me to get into freelancing and get myself published so that one day I can do this more full-time.

And, remember those gossipy neighbors that I felt I did not fit in with? Well, as it turns out, there have been planetary shifts in our neighborhood's solar system as well--as 4-5 houses have sold on our street in the past few months. After meeting one of the new neighbors last week, I noted to my husband how down-to-earth and NORMAL she seemed.

Today, as I sat in a volunteer meeting for my daughter's preschool, I started chatting with a lady who had come in late to the meeting and sat next to me. She explained how she was new to the area, having just moved. When I asked her where she lived, lo and behold it was in my neighborhood! When I asked the street on which she lived, she ironically lives on my street just a few houses away! I approvingly took note of her casual appearance, t-shirt and ponytail, little makeup, much like how I look first thing in the morning at preschool drop-off. The gossip moons might not shine down upon that sort of wardrobe on our street really, but I accept it wholeheartedly! So, maybe this means there are TWO normal people on my street who are less interested in showing off their latest SUV or designer bag and more interested in just "aligning ourselves" as friendly neighbors!

Yep...Pluto or no Pluto, and no matter what is in or out of my planetary alignment, I think this might be shaping up into a decent school year!