Hi friends! Thank you so much for embarking on this new journey with me! My dream of writing children's books began when I was a little girl ( most of those books are stored in my attic to this day)! Why didn't I pursue my passion? What took so long? Well, if I am being completely honest, the only thing that got in the way of my dream was ME. I was terrified! I can't tell you how many half written books are still lying around waiting to be completed. My entire life changed when Covid hit. The reality of how fragile life is and how much truth is behind "tomorrow is not promised" sunk in deeply after the loss of a dear friend. I believe God speaks in whispers but sometimes he throws boulders. BOULDER #1. We only have one chance at life and what the heck was I doing sitting in my home living in fear?
The greatest gift my children have ever given me is a second chance at life. I can't teach them to be brave, if I am not. I can't teach them to be confident, if I am not. I can't teach them to persevere, if I am not. I have had to practice self-love even when I felt it was unwarranted. The unconditional love they show on a daily basis is awe-inspiring to say the least. When my husband deployed during Covid I felt my entire world crumble. Life felt unstable...quite frankly, it was. I did everything to keep a sense of normalcy in our home but the stress of both of those events became crippling. Let me tell you, if you've ever experienced anxiety you know it's awful!!!!! I still can't fathom how we spent nearly 2 years barely leaving our home; We had lot's of movie nights, camping excursions in our bedroom, and crafts. I made it work. One night when I tucked my daughter Charlotte into bed she looked at me and said, " Mom when I look at you, I see love". HOLY SMOKES ! That kid said that...and she meant it ! BOULDER #2 .Every bit of self doubt vanished. My children felt loved . They felt safe. I knew we were going to be okay. I took much needed time reflecting during those days of Covid and realized how much our lives had changed. I acknowledged the bad and there was lots of it but what I began to see was how much good came from it. Communities rallied together, grocery pick-up was born (AMEN!), Telehealth became available, ZOOM, and our educational system was at our finger-tips. These advances became successful because we had to lean on each other for love and support. LOVE IS EVERYWHERE. And while I am still winging this "parent gig" , the one thing I know is when there is LOVE there is everything.
Love this! Thanks for sharing!