Greetings! I’m Pamela Murray – Pam, now that we’re friends – and like millions of other baby boomers, I’m consumed with unlocking the secrets that will ensure the years ahead are every bit as fulfilling as the ones already in my memory bank.
This blog picks up my life in 2017. I’m recently retired and living in a quiet lake community in East Tennessee with my husband of thirty-five years. I’m also a mother, mother-in-law, and gMa to a small but cherished tribe of both the two and four-legged variety. Collectively, this amazing clan of mine provides amusement, laughter and more joy than I deserve.
I love outdoor life: boating, swimming, gardening, walking, hiking and bearing witness to as many glorious sunrises and sunsets as I can. I treasure books in all forms; I enjoy reading them, listening to them, and even dabbling a bit with writing them. For most of my life I’ve been obsessed with football, Bruce Springsteen, chocolate, and British royalty. I prefer cardio to yoga and tulips to roses. McDonald’s was my favorite restaurant as a kid and it’s still the one I frequent the most. If I’m not in running shoes, I’m in heels and I’d much rather wear a skirt than pants. I’ll drive three hours to another state for a scoop of my favorite ice cream, but could care less about going around the corner to use that gift card from last Christmas for a mani-pedi. And each morning I wake up with a grateful heart and make a promise to create some good in the day.
In early 2018, my somewhat carefree life was tragically derailed when our daughter was diagnosed with a rare liver disease that ultimately took her life less than six months later. I emerged from that heartbreaking loss with my soul crushed and my voice silenced. It has taken eighteen months to begin to feel whole again. My healing has not been linear; 2019 was full of ups and down, starts and stops.
As 2020 begins, I see glimpses of my old self, yet I know that version of me is forever in the rear-view mirror. Life changes us. Sorrow changes us. I’ve learned when you lose someone you love deeply it can take every ounce of resolve not to lose yourself. I don’t trust that the things I cherish will last, so I’m committed to celebrating them now. These days I know less about where I’m going, yet I have complete clarity about the life I want. Most importantly, I know I survived. And maybe now I’m ready to once again reach for more.
Chapter 3 is a place where I’ll narrate my story; sharing thoughts, passions, experiences and learnings as I tip-toe toward my golden years. I suspect if you are interested in checking in from time to time you’re going to learn a lot more about me, and maybe just a little bit more about yourself too.