Beware of the man offering you the moon in exchange for the sun.

I met my sons’ father in the rural area he lives to drop the boys off so they could spend their last week of summer vacation camping with him in the redwoods. It’s so funny to see this squinty eyed man, aging prematurely do to his construction job and chain smoking. I have nothing in common with the man I had kids with except for our childhood and our children. His only aspirations in life were to be a husband and father. And so he is. He’s been married for a while, has two beautiful daughters. A wife that I suppose is much more comfortable in the spouse role than me. He even drives a mini-van. Me? My aspirations change on the regular. I’ve always leaned toward being a shit starter, shit talker, caller outer, just in different incarnations. Having kids so young slowed my pace, but really, being a mom is just another way to disrupt the status quo for me. The boys’ dad at one point offered me the moon to stay with him, but I knew, I knew deep inside the price was too steep. He was offering me the moon in exchange for the sun. I’ve kept the sunshine of my soul for myself and for my children. I shine brighter each year as I go places he told me didn’t exist or weren’t safe for me.