Getting Back Out There

I have to confess that it has been awhile since I have been on a date.  After my divorce I was really good about getting out there and meeting men, but after a few bad experiences I decided to take a break.  As moms, whether we are married, in a relationship, or single, we spend so much time caring for others that I think we lose a little bit of us.  I wanted to find me again.  When the kids would go to see their dad I would go for walks, read, write in my journal, and somedays go to not just one movie but two or three.  There were times when I would long for “me” time and I would get it and make the most of it…and there were times when the children would leave and I would ache for them to get home.  Sometimes they would leave and the minute the door would close, the tears would just come pouring out.  It was as if in the quiet I really allowed myself to feel the grief, anger, and sadness over all the things that had happened. 
I have also loved being with the kids and the fact that they are the only people right now that have really needed my attention.  I love our nights together and when they all go to sleep and I curl up on the couch alone and think “I did it!”.  Right after my divorce at night when I was alone I would sit on one end of the couch, for a very long time I continue to sleep on my side of the bed.  Slowly I have moved to the middle.
Now I am ready to get back out there….I am just not sure how to start.  I go to all sorts of events for the radio station and have met amazing people through my writing, speaking, and the television show.  Dating is just a little different.  My daughters have offered me advice, introduced me to their friends dad’s who are single, and my son made me watch a youtube video where Ken (Barbie’s friend) said “play hard to get”. 
So as I ease back into the dating world please feel free to share your tips, advice, and stories!  And who knows…maybe somewhere out there I will meet that special person and years from now we will share out story of finding true love the second time around.