Life takes you on many twists and turns. There are road blocks and often times you make a wrong turn or have to take a detour.  If you are lucky it is a long road...if you are phenomenally lucky it is a long straight road.

My life falls in the middle of the road. (which isn't such a bad place to be)

For almost fifty years I was on the highway with little traffic. Traffic slowed to a stand still when my mother died and almost made me pull over and puke on the side of the road. After that it was a bumpy ride but one of my own making. (stupid twenties)

After I met Tim , God paved the highway and it was a nice quiet ride. We started off poor and happy but eventually had the perfect life...three kids, a brand new house and living the American dream.

We hit another detour when my Diddy died from West Nile and I felt the bile coming up again in my throat.  It's tough to be a 42 year old orphan.

I somehow survived  that dusty gravel road of realizing the two people who had brought me into this world would never see their grand kids grow up or see  that I had finally become an adult. It was a hard pill to swallow...especially with all that gravel flinging out along the way.

A couple of years ago we hit a "Bridge Out" sign and didn't even have enough gas to go back and find another route.

God, my family, friends and even strangers all lay across the bridge that was out and we slowly moved across it and reached the other side. They were all quite literally our "Bridge Over Troubled Water."

When you're weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes,
I will dry them all
I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
When you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind.

We've made tremendous strides...Number one: God looked out for us. Number two: Family and friends have continued to love us and Number three: We are now approaching a point where we can actually help ourselves...AND others.

Zach threw us a curve and it breaks my heart, but I would much rather him screw up at  the age of eighteen and pay  for his own mistake  than to move back in with us when he is thirty and  bring three grand kids for Tim and me to raise.  No body's calling me Granny til  "I" say so!

I have to pick him up every  day for work and the road construction on the by pass is ridiculous. Every day another lane is shut down and the orange barrels are realigned a different way. It's like a maze of confusion. Today they had actually made significant progress and after I picked Zach up for work and we headed back  down the by pass I remarked "It's almost done."

Zach said "Yep..ten more days."

God bless him..I didn't tell him I was talking about the by pass and not his time left to serve.

We rounded another curve and he suddenly said "I bet you were talking about the road."

I told him I was talking about both.

I love my kids. I love my husband. I love my family.

None of us are perfect. What matters most is that our love for each other is.

I am perfectly happy being me.  I am perfectly happy being a crazy fifty two year old woman who wants to love the world. The world could use a little more love if you ask me...

Til next  time...COTTON