(Designing Women)
The 1970's were learning years. The 1980's were transformational. If you are in the midst of a transformational phase in your life right now, you may know what I mean. Big things happen. Life altering decisions are made. Roads are chosen. You are entering a new phase of your life, but it's hard to see while you are in the middle, less so in retrospect.
For me it was about life and death.
The decade began with marriage to a truly wonderful man. I've been very lucky in my life's journey to have a mate who allows me to be me. Then my life took another turn with the birth of the daughter I'd always wanted. I was 29 and life changed from being all about me, to being all about others. When my oldest was four we added daughter number two, but not before having a terrible car accident while I was pregnant. Then, within three months I buried my beloved father.
To lose my father at age 58 was a tragedy. He had just been blessed with the grandchildren he adored, but wouldn't be around to enjoy. To say this was a difficult time, would be an understatement. But it was only a spoke in the wheel. It was only one of the many life altering events I would experience in this decade. Fate was not done with me yet, I was to have my own brush with mortality.
It was 1989, the very end of the decade. My daughters were 18 months and six years old. I was swimming laps at our local pool several times a week. When drying my hair, I noticed something different with the sound of the hairdryer when moving it from left ear to right ear. I won't bother with the details, I've covered them in other posts, other than to say the tumor that was lodged near my brainstem would create havoc in it's removal. Life changing havoc.
It was at this time I experienced "stressor overload". That happens when stressors that you can usually handle build up, and you experience depression, anxiety, fear, sleeplessness, etc. It's a warning system of sorts. It was also the motivation behind my spiritual search. Sometimes we arrive at a point in our lives where we need to find true meaning. Why are we here? Who are we? What is our purpose? Is there a purpose? Do we matter? And this was my time. And I'm very grateful for it.
So the decade ended with a jump start. A lifelong search for my place in the whole scheme of things.
What about you? Were the '80s pivotal? Have you ever experienced years where there were a series of events that changed you in some meaningful way?
