Spin Cycle: My many hats... or all the roles I play in the story of my life

There are many hats I wear in my life, so many of them inter-changable.  

First off,  I am a daughter (although orphaned now), the 4th child and 3rd daughter of my parents.  I'm right smack in the middle of 8 siblings, so I was always kind of anonymous and that was okay with me!  Flew under my parents' radar all my life!  As a result of all those siblings, I am a sister-in-law and an aunt.  A cousin to about 40 people (and that's just the first generation!)  What can I say... we're Irish Catholic.

For 23 years, I was a wife and maybe someday I will be again.  No hurry there.

I am a mom to 3 great kids... I mean adults.  It doesn't seem all that long ago, I was changing diapers and driving to class trips.  Now 2 are out of college (well, one next week) and the baby in college. It happened in a blink of an eye.

While my kids were in high school, I was a Drama Mama! (not to be confused with a Stage Mother... I supported, but kept my mouth shut)  

I was the proverbial taxi driver... taking kids to dance lessons, voice lessons, field hockey and softball games, drama practice and stage crew, to first jobs, to school when they missed the bus.  To and from college sometimes!  When they became teenagers, I was a driving instructor... sometimes with my heart in my throat and a scream on my lips!

I am a friend to many, I hope.  I have a few friends who have been my friend since first grade and all through grade school and high school.  We have known each other for 48 years and counting!  I have neighborhood friends and blog friends and Facebook friends.  I have friends at work  I have a good friend who helped me through my divorce, the toughest time in my life.  We can not see each other for months and then pick up right where we left off!  She's the only person who can make me wet my pants laughing!  

I am a lover and friend to John for the past 4 years.  He'd like to change that to wife, but I'm in no hurry to do that right now... maybe someday.    I was also John's caregiver as he battled Lymphoma for 2 years.  Hopefully, that role has been retired.  But if not, I'll put that hat back on again and do what needs to be done.

I am a waitress and a shift leader and a trainer at work.  I like my job (most of the time  hahaha) and I like the people I work with.  I'm in no hurry to change jobs at this point.  I get 3 weeks vacation and I don't want to give that up!.   I used to be a hair stylist and a restaurant manager.  

I did wear the hat of an empty nester, but my son graduates from college on May 8, and he's moving home!  My youngest, Dani will be home for the summer.  So I guess I have to hang up my empty nester hat for a while.  And dammit!  I really liked that hat!  :)

So, I counted them all up and it seems like I have or had  14 or more hats.  I"m sure I'd find more if I thought long and hard.  One hat I haven't had the pleasure of wearing yet, but hope to some day ... Grandmom (but I'd need a cooler name than that )  There's no hurry though.  It will happen when the time is right.  

Now, go visit Jen at Sprite's Keeper and see who else posted an a fun post!   You can join in and post one of yours as well!