Our dog Smooch recently had some health issues which made me think about her mortality. Thankfully her test results and ultra sound came back indicating only early kidney disease, which is treatable with super expensive prescription diet food. But something the hubs said a while back made these health issues more scary…. we only have 4 more spring breaks until we are officially empty nesters. Yes, in 4 years Smooch will most likely not be around and both my kiddos will be off to college. This means I will go from being needed by 3 creatures (some louder than others) to no creatures at all. This seems super scary to me.
The hubs suggested I get more hobbies. I have hobbies. See this post for more on that.
I am going to need something/someone to nurture. And in a creepy Big Brother way, guess what showed up in my social media news feed? An ad to be a Guardian ad Litem.
A Guardian ad Litem is a trained community volunteer who is appointed, along with a Guardian ad Litem attorney, by a district court judge to investigate and determine the needs of abused and neglected children petitioned into the court system by the Department of Social Services. Their role is mandated by North Carolina General Statute 7B-601.
Throughout North Carolina, the Guardian ad Litem Program seeks to serve the best interests of thousands of children who find themselves the subjects of court cases by assigning them Guardian ad Litem volunteers. Our program exists in every county throughout the state, and with the help of more than 5,300 volunteers, we serve more than 18,000 children a year.
As a young girl in the 1980’s, I dreamed of being a lawyer. I have a video of a super Southern me talking about my career aspirations. Check it out here if you promise not to make fun of my Southern accent.
As an adult, I am a lover of true crime and podcasts of those who have been wrongfully convicted. I also love memoirs about children overcoming adversity. I also did not have that great of a childhood myself, but not the kind that would have warranted social services. But…. it feels like a good next step as I enter this next phase of life and parenting. There are children out there that need advocates, and I am going to need to nurture…. win/win, right?
Want to chat about parenting in the teenage years? Check out the Let’s Talk Parenting link and get in touch. I would love to talk with you!