All We Need

Is love all we need? It's certainly a cliché question. But it has been talked about, sung about, and written about, so there must be some truth to it. And you know what? There is.

As I write this, my son and I left Los Angeles seven weeks ago, and we have been on the road ever since. I broke my apartment lease, gassed up the car, and created a blueprint for how we were going to pull it off. After all my years of being an executive assistant, the planning and organizing had to come in handy at some point. Except this time, it was for us.

Liam wasn't having the best time in school, and I was tired of corporate work. I kept thinking, this can't be it, can it? I am 45, and I haven't seen the world. Even after living in Europe for so many years, I didn't really get to see it. Living in a place is not the same as knowing it. Liam hasn't either, although he has seen much more than I had at his age. I had been working for someone else's dream. It was time to work on mine. We talked about this new plan together. I believe kids are resilient and can understand anything, as long as it comes from a place of love, security, and empathy. I was determined to change our lives.

I also wanted to spend more time with Liam. What was I doing, exactly? Dropping him off at school, picking him up, rushing like mad to be on time every day. It was stressful, with only a few real moments shared in between. It wasn't good enough, so we decided to give this life we are building a go.

When I shared the plan with a few friends and family members, though, I got some pushback from the people who love us. I totally understand. I probably would have done the same. The most gut-wrenching comment, or maybe the one that made me think the most, came from my sister, who said, "So you won't have a permanent home. I can't do it. I need to know I have a home." It made me pause, because that wasn't something I had really considered: yes, we would no longer have a physical home in the traditional sense, only a virtual address at best. Our car, a Kia Soul, was about to become our home.

But now that we have been on the road, checking in and out of motels and hotels every few days, I realize I don't need a home. I already have one. Sure, it's a very small one, but it is my home. The house, the furniture, the things we used to own mean nothing to me if I am not living the life I want. The only part I can't live without, the part I need to know is there, is my boy. I already panic a little when I think about what I will do when he leaves the nest, as they say. My life has revolved so much around him these past 10 years that the day he leaves will be the day I'm not sure I'll know who I am without him. So yes. I need the love.

What about you? What do you need?