At our house, this time of year is known as the best time of the year. I mean: sunlight, daylight growing longer every day. Fishing season begins. You could probably finish this list by yourself; add blooming plants and green, green grass.

This year, I feel this blooming in a different way. On Friday, I accepted a part time writing and editing job in an office. In June, I’ll spend 20 hours a week as part of an in-person team. I’ve been searching for a job like this for a few years. If I were writing a memoir about it, and I started at the beginning, maybe I’d pick joining a mom’s group almost three years ago. Or I’d start when Annie was in kindergarten and I realized I’d be freelancing for longer than I thought.

17+ years of freelancing while mothering some awesome daughters. 17+ years of getting to learn more about the writing craft during my working hours. 17+ years of loving interviews for articles because I love human interaction. Sure, I had freelance stints that placed me in an office for short bursts of time. But mostly I’ve been in my office learning how to write more concise articles. This makes me want to bow in gratitude to all of the editors who edited my work, especially those who noted what didn’t work, then dropped me hints of how to make pieces work better, and then asked me to fix my articles. Thank you editors, thank you.

Thank you to those kids of mine, too. Getting to be with them in a very quality time way for so many years, ack, I can’t put that into words. Even this morning, I am so glad to be working at home because I just got to hug my daughter who is home sick today.

Ah, this life, it’s something, isn’t it? This is where I am at today: loving the lilacs, blooming outside. Loving how my dog is fighting with a crow during these last few sunny days. Loving spring, knowing that soon I’ll be within a new challenge. I hope May finds you well, too.