“Bye Bye Baby, Baby Bye Bye” Four Seasons 1969

Welcome back to SOLO AT SIXTY!

Well Happy New Year y’all! And Welcome 2021. Did you party hard or did you welcome the new year in a quiet way? I chose the quiet way and loved every minute of it! So… did you make any New Year’s Resolutions and if so, have they fallen by the wayside yet? For the past several years I have kept my resolutions – first, I said I wanted to see my kids more often, which I have done. Then last year I said I would not let anything (or anyone) steal my joy, and I was pretty successful with that one as well in spite of the pandemic. And this year? This year I plan to let go of, and not fret over, the things I cannot control. And trust me, I am a control freak, so this is a major task, but one I plan to conquer. And I don’t know about y’all, but now that Christmas is over, I am ready for SUMMER! Ok, maybe one big snow, but then summer can’t get here fast enough for this girl!

“Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.”  – Alan Cohen  

I hope your Christmas was special, even if it was a bit different from other years. I have to admit, this one was pretty good for me. I had my kids here, even the newlyweds! As there was no in-person church on Christmas Eve, we stepped back into our Moravian shoes and celebrated the Moravian Christmas Eve Candlelight Lovefeast from my sofa as it was live-streamed. We had all the fixings – Moravian Buns I had bought while in Winston-Salem, coffee (though my daughter-in-law and I had Chai Lattes), and of course I had Moravian candles from years past (I can never get rid of those!). Even had an old program. All set! Love my kids for appeasing their momma’s desire to be a Moravian on Christmas Eve!

“After almost a year of listening to people talk with a mask on I finally understand what Charlie Brown’s teacher was saying.”

I cherished the time I got to spend with my kids – we worked on a great puzzle depicting Charlie Brown’s Christmas, which has a special meaning for my kids from their childhood, and watched movies. We even made a visit to Old House Vineyards – the site of my older daughter and son-in-law’s wedding in 2015. This beautiful vineyard has changed in the last 5 years… it now boasts not only a wonderful winery, but also a brewery, and a distillery. We reserved a spot by the fireplace – loveseat and chairs around a table – shared wine and lunch and gave an outside “wedding” tour to my new daughter-in-law. Even found the Love Lock my daughter and son-in-law locked on the pier during their wedding. What a fun day! 

“The most important time is family time.”

But that night after dinner my older daughter called and told me to STOP DRINKING! Well, I only had a couple glasses of wine in the afternoon at the winery, but why stop? She thought she might be in labor… but like all first time moms, did not know for sure. I remember that feeling – we almost waited too long to head to the hospital when she was born! Their doctor sent them to the hospital for a labor check and at 11:30 Saturday night my son-in-law texted to say it was REAL. Ok folks, the Baby Plan was put into action 8 days early! I grabbed my bag and headed to their house to stay with my granddawg so the soon-to-be parents would not worry about their fur baby. I became her person. She knew something was happening and stuck to me like glue (dog hair and all) and I loved it. And at 4:20 Sunday morning, Chase Michael Boland entered this crazy world and I became a Grandmother. A role I have anticipated for a long time. I could not wait for them to come home (they couldn’t either!). No one was allowed at the hospital except my son-in-law. Darn the pandemic!

“The littlest feet make the biggest footprints in our hearts.”

My Charlotte kids stayed and worked from my house an extra day so they could come to Richmond to meet their nephew when he came home Monday afternoon. What a joyous occasion!  Y’all, a new man has stolen this SOLO’s heart… finally! Yep! And he’s adorable and loves to snuggle! As a matter of fact, on my last visit with him I held him for 5 hours. I am tearing up the road to Richmond as often as I can as I just cannot get enough of being with my new grandson. I am over the moon! And the feelings are like no other… just like my grandmother friends have shared with me. You truly cannot imagine it until you experience it. Best late Christmas present ever!

“Something magical happens when parents turn into Grandparents…”

Today marks a new day in our country. I am praying for peace and unity, as well as an end to this pandemic, and a return to a life that will be better than before the pandemic. Maybe we will look at life differently. We’ve all lost something this past year – people, jobs, opportunities… but maybe, just maybe, we have gained something too. An appreciation for things we took for granted.  A desire to lead a slower life. A learning to adapt. An awareness of what is truly important in our lives. And maybe, just maybe, 2021 will lead us to a meaningful life full of health, wealth, peace, love, and hugs. 

“I urge you to be PEACEMAKERS. To love PEACE. To seek PEACE. To cherish PEACE. To create PEACE.” – Jeffrey R. Holland

And with the new year comes a new chapter. And for me, that new chapter is filled with my new grandson. This also brings an end to a wonderful chapter in my life – this blog. This blog has served its purpose for me. I was able to pour out the pain of finding myself SOLO after 35+ years of marriage, share the road to finding myself and a new life on my own, as well as the joys of being SOLO. Along the way I hope I have helped others see that when life throws you a curveball, you not only can survive, but thrive. Thank you for sharing your time, support, and comments with me over these past 4 years. Please keep in touch – email me at leslieholcomb20@gmail.com or find me on facebook. I love to hear from you! 

“So Bye Bye Baby, Baby Goodbye,  Bye Bye Baby don’t make me cry…” Frankie Valli

And remember y’all, we need to make the most of each and every day of 2021, because as we all know, none of us is promised tomorrow.

“Your future needs you, your past doesn’t.”

Best,

Leslie

PS – Today is our 59th Inauguration Day… wonder why Inaugurations are always on January 20th? Well… the 20th Amendment states ‘The terms of president and vice president shall end at noon on the 20th of January.’  Lots of “20’s”! By the way, my favorite number is 20 (probably because of my birthday!)

“The greatest honor history can bestow is the title of PEACEMAKER.” – Richard Nixon

Peace Out y’all!