September

What to Read (and Eat) How Not to be a Shallow Person

September

I am the passenger who takes constant pictures out the airplane window….

Greetings from a layover in the Chicago Midway airport. I have vowed not to spend any money on food but my flight is delayed and I’ve already eaten my Cheetos, banana, and apple. How long can I hold out?1 The person sitting next to me just pulled out a pulled pork sandwich…

I left Salt Lake City at 3 a.m. this morning after saying good-bye to three of my children who are starting college this week. THREE! I left three kids in Utah! I actually love that they are in the same state (two at the same school) and have so many glorious adventures ahead of them. No doubt some tough times, too. I also love that while we did go shopping The Atlantic confirms that American parents are out of control, my daughters are super into thrifting and wanted to scrap together their own rooms (cool artwork by the wonderful ). PARENTS: LET THEM.

What I’m reading on the plane? Compulsively turning the pages of Jodi Picoult’s Plain Truth. I had to download on my Kindle because Paige and I were both fighting over the paper copy, but she started it first, so... Plain Truth is a Jodi P. favorite. She lives in NH and is the author that made me want to write books.

When I finish Plain Truth? I have John Green’s new book Everything is Tuberculosis in my backpack!

Jenny Han’s Book to Netflix gold: I’ve watched the first two seasons of The Summer I Turned Pretty and plan on watching the third season asap. The show isn’t real but the people playing the characters are. When fans need to be reminded to stop bullying. geesh.

I saw a lot of parents in tears this week - kids too - as they said good-bye. While moving my youngest daughter into her dorm, we went to a BYU women’s soccer game - something I’ve been wanting to see live for years! I have to admit I wanted to be on that field so bad. It brought me back to my college days, club soccer, anatomy lab, so much dating drama, and cross-country try-outs. All of these young kids making small and big choices that will lead them somewhere…there will be successes, regrets, and no do-overs. Choose wisely.

I loved BYU President Shane Reese’s comments to the incoming class: you belong here. we love you. Paige: “Yeah, I knew you’d eat that up.” Our young adults are cynical, wise, savvy - and I hope - just as idealistic as I felt all of those years ago.

By the time this is published I will be driving my oldest daughter, Cope, and baby Hal to Montreal, Canada, to reunite with Kaden, who is starting at McGill’s graduate school program. I have already cried and have already called dibs on reading Charlotte’s Web to Hal for the first time. And then, Gregor and I will drive back home to New Hampshire and there will be no children in the house…2

I understand the midlife crisis. We’re content and/or maybe not. Our homes are a little closer to being paid off but we’ve taken on debt to get our kids through school. We’re worried about our aging parents, our young adults, the state of the world, politics, and retirement - which is suddenly and supposedly not that far away. We’re letting our hair go gray (maybe when I’m 60?) or fighting Father Time with botox and lips fillers (I refuse). I have friends who are happily married, but some are getting divorced. - we grew together or we didn’t. Jen Hatmaker and I are the same age: different life stories, but hers resonates; the choices we make really matter, and also, life throws so many curve balls. Every life choice has led us to exactly where we are.

An empty nest is a little terrifying. Who am I without being needed so much? The inimitable felt so lucky to reach 50. I’m going to embrace and lean into that feeling. We really are the luckiest. At 19 I had tons of angst, too, but I also felt we were all on the precipice of something really big and great: we could do anything. It kindof feels like that now.

I’ll see you on the other side - my flight and those little graham crackers are calling!

Amy 💖

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The Last Part:

Bye: All the kids in one week. Plus baby Hal. What the heck?

Wearing: This New Balance sneaker…so comfortable and cool! My kids call me “Grandma Influencer” when I wear them. They think they’re so funny.

Entering: Goodread’s Giveaway for Sue Monk Kidd’s Writing Creativity and Soul. Does anyone ever win Goodread Giveaways?

Giving: A copy of The McNifficent’s with - go to her Substack and win this book - yes, someone is actually going to win and I will personalize it!

xoxo