When I was in 3rd grade, my teacher, Ms. Bennett, asked the class to describe ourselves with an adjective beginning with the first letter of our first name. So we had Silly Sean and Crazy Chris, to name a couple. I didn’t know a D word to describe myself, so Ms. Bennett volunteered “Dynamic Destiny” and I learned that day what the word dynamic means. I was a bundle of positive energy and extroverted excitement at the time, so it suited me well. As I am nearing my 50s, I am revisiting that moniker, and I find that it fits just as well at 48. Though I am more introverted in my middle age, the definition of dynamic as an antonym to static seems to befit me. Dynamic. Changing. Not content to stay the same. This sums up the past six months for me and I hope to carry that into my 50s next year and beyond.

The first big change was our move from Loveland, Ohio to Grand Ledge, Michigan in May. I left the hometown for the past 24 years that never really felt right and headed north. Grand Ledge has been a slice of idyllic America, and I have made it my mission to get to know the people and the area so I can start building a sense of community that I never got in Loveland. The first month I was here, I found a new crochet class and finally learned how to manipulate yarn into something real and valuable. (My cursing dishcloths have been a fun project!) Through that first class, I was introduced to a group of friends who now meet every Tuesday—we call ourselves “The Hook Up” and we meet to gab, crochet, and just feel a sense of belonging. For the first time since leaving the red brick wall at R-MWC in 1999, I have found a group of women whom I call friends and with whom I actually have the time and desire to socialize.

One of my friends from The Hook Up invited me to an exercise class in downtown Grand Ledge, so I will be getting up at 5 a.m. next Wednesday and walking the ½ mile to the studio to do some group exercise and meet other like-minded individuals. The last time I did something like this, I went headfirst into Adventure Boot Camp and got ripped. My subsequent mental breakdown following my divorce put an abrupt stop to that and it has been a struggle to exercise regularly ever since. I am committing to one day a week (because 5 a.m.!) but I am actually really looking forward to having a group class where I can get my heart rate up. I am not content to stay the same. Dynamic. Changing.

Ez reports to college today and I’m sure will have lots of ice breakers and get to know you games to play with her classmates. If they are tasked with an alliterative epithet, I think “Evolving Ezra” will suit them nicely. They have changed so much from a kid to a teen to now a college student. And they have four years to evolve into a twenty-something with a good head on their shoulders. They are springboarding from childhood into a lifetime of growth and change and challenges and victories—a lifetime of “Evolving Ezra.” 

This is the right time to adapt my blog to my new life circumstances. I am no longer “Just Destiny: Single Mom Keeping it Real.” Since my kids are grown and my role as caregiver has changed to supporter and cheerleader, I have time to focus on my life. So I am updating the branding of this blog to reflect the new stage of life I am in. Now I am “Just Destiny: MI life, My Life.” I will still do Seven Sentences for Sunday and I might have some reflections on parenting adults, but I will be focusing more on my adventures in Michigan and my own personal growth. I am excited for this new venture, and I am excited to share it with you, dear readers. Because I am Dynamic Destiny. Changing. Not content to stay the same.

I love you all, some more than others. 💜🌻

Pics of Dynamic Destiny—in 3rd grade and at 48.