Thinning The Herd

No, this isn't about cleaning out the closets and looking at my shoe collection with a jaundiced eye.
(Ten pairs of black shoes still seems legit).

This is about a more difficult exercise:  Thinning the things that define me.

For many, many years, I've urged anyone who will listen, to not put all their "identity eggs" in one basket.  This following an extremely unfortunate period during college, when I found my self-described identity as "good student" challenged for the first time, with nothing else to fall back on.

And so, I say to the children, do many things (even if they're not all done to perfection).  Think of yourself many ways.  Don't have just one gig, one facet, one identity.

That said, no one can be or do everything forever  Time or circumstances "thin the herd" (a death that terminates care-giving, a job-loss, etc) regardless of personal preference, and one must decide how to manage those changed circumstances.

"Who am I?  What do I do?  How do I make an impression on my little corner of the world?"

That's a tough one. 
I've been many things, most of which get the social stamp of approval. I've either set aside voluntarily or been released from many of them, and what's left is pretty thin.
 
In fact, I think "stay-at-home mom" is the most accurate description, at the moment. 
It doesn't roll easily off the tongue, but right now, that's my biggest contribution to The Greater Good. 

There's a quote...something like "Sometimes you have to give up something good, to make room for something great."

Awesomesauce!  I've given up lots of good things!

But...there's no guarantee "something great" is around the corner, or even down the road at all.

And if there isn't, can a smaller definition of "Who am I? What do I do?" be enough  to make an impression on my little corner of the world?

I hope so.
I think so. 
At the very least, I've made plenty of room for something great...should it come along!
 
And if it doesn't, I'm pretty sure I can still change my little corner. 

Time to get to work.