Happy Independence Day to Me!

It was exactly three years ago today that I moved out of my house and claimed my independence.

I received the call on July 3rd, 2006 that my apartment was ready for immediate occupancy.  I borrowed the security and first month’s rent from my mother and went to the rental office and signed the lease.  Then I went home to pack.

Luckily, Jim had already left to spend the weekend with Nancy and her children.  I managed to line up family and a friend for the big move on July 4th!

I didn’t take much.  JJ and Bekah threw some of their toys in a box.  I took the bed and my dresser, my great-grandmother’s china hutch, my step-sister’s dining room set, the portable dishwasher and freezer my mother bought us as Christmas presents, and the stove and dryer my step-mother bought us as a house-warming gift two years earlier.

I left everything else behind.  The dishes my mother bought for my bridal shower, the living room furniture, even the kids’ beds stayed.

My mother was my savior.  Not only did she loan me the money for the rent and security, she gave me her living room furniture and TV.  (She bought herself a new set.)  She bought a refrigerator and washer.  She bought the children new bedroom sets, and insisted on buying me a new mattress and box spring.  Everything from appliances to furniture, from the mop to the garbage can.

I like to take time every 4th of July to reflect on my new life, my independence day, and how much I have grown during this time.  I’ve lost friends and made new friends.  I survived a layoff, getting fired, and a temp job that never ends.

I’ve been broke and couldn’t pay my bills.  I got my divorce settlement and paid every debt off.  I’ve spent money I shouldn’t have, and now I save when I can.

I’ve been ambitious and I’ve been lazy.  I’ve made shrimp scampi from scratch and I’ve eaten Chef Boyardi for dinner.

But most importantly, like Frank Sinatra said, “I did it my way.”