Doesn’t that sound like the perfect invitation? Just breathe, momma. How many times do we really do that… simply slow down and breathe? There is always laundry to do, a kiddo to transport somewhere, and bottomless tummies crying out for snacks 24/7. It seems like the tabs within our minds are always open and running at full speed, right? As mommas, we can sometimes (or often) try to be superwoman – all things to all people, especially our kids. I’ve had this particular message on my heart for some time now; probably because I personally need to hear it and let it seep into my soul. It is something I…
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From Guilt to Grace: A Message to the Mamas
So it has been embarrassingly too long since I last made a blog post. But Mother’s Day was the mark of my first post, and I thought it would be fun to share new insights and capture the journey of motherhood over the last year. Last year I was telling stories about mom guilt after a grocery shopping trip with my littles. Who would have thought this year would look so completely different? My kids haven’t even stepped foot in a grocery store in 2 months since the Corona-virus pandemic. I truly never would have imagined this a year ago. I’ve missed my kids not being able to attend school…
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How does peace sound this holiday season?
Chaos. Striving. Rushing. Busy-ness. Did I do enough today? Did I show up well enough for my people? Am I enough? For the love, can I just have some peace, please? I’ve identified in the past with performance issues. I thought I had to earn my way to all the “enoughs”. If I work hard enough, then I’ll make enough money, and look successful enough to make me feel like enough. It was just a cycle that, well, was never enough. The Ugly Truth I remember many tears being shed because in my pursuit of achieving all the things I thought would bring me peace. I often felt like I…
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It’s Your Party and I’ll Cry if I Want to…
“I’m going to cry so much! This is the last year I’ll be able to count his age on one hand.” This was a statement my friend Patricia made during one of our recent play dates. I have been mostly dreading the upcoming send off to Kindergarten, and this observation was just another tear jerking point to add to the list. Thanks for that, P. I’m actually writing this the night before your 5th birthday. Everyone is asleep, and I probably won’t get much of that. Just like I didn’t 5 years ago. This was partly due to the ridiculous bladder of a 40 week pregnant woman. Mostly, though, I…
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3 Words that Define Us
Caucasian. Hispanic. African-American. Asian. Other ________________. Other? (insert confused emoji face here) Confession: I am 33 years old and, to this day, I wonder if I fill this box in correctly. I was born in the United States. I only speak English, though I like to think my Spanish vocabulary is decent. My mom has blonde hair and blue eyes and grew up in the South. But fun fact: my dad is actually from Lebanon. Dear fellow Tennessee friends, I’m talking about the country, not the home of the outlet mall. Can you tell I get this a lot? I honestly wonder when I circle in that “Caucasian” bubble, if…
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Tunnel Vision: Seeking the Light at the End of the Tunnel
Have you ever felt like you belong to People Pleaser’s Anonymous? Stressing more than you should over the opinions of others? This has been something I have wrestled with for as long as I can remember. As I grow older, and I’d like to think a bit wiser, I am learning this exhausting habit does not serve anyone well. Myself included. God, give me tunnel vision This is a prayer thought that came to mind after a recent moment of public parenting. I took my littles to an indoor trampoline park that ended in some pretty ugly tantrums. Let me add, being kicked by one of my own as we…
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Dear Younger Self: 33 Life Lessons
Last week marked my 33rd year of this amazing thing called life. It is always interesting to me to reflect back on the years. What has changed. What hasn’t. Lessons learned. Laughing at my silly teenage self and seeing how crazy, different my worries then were compared to my worries now. I do believe with age comes wisdom, so younger self: here is what I would tell you now… Just because you loved someone and didn’t receive that love back, does not mean you are unlovable. Just because a loved one didn’t show you love the way you wanted them to, does not mean you are unlovable. You’ll learn that…
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What I Learned (attempting) to Read the Bible in a Year
January 1, 2015: Start Bible in a Year plan on my phone. Read Genesis 1-3. Fall off the wagon before Leviticus. January 1, 2016: Let’s try this again. I’m more hungry now. I’m ready to see what really happens in the Bible. Somewhere around March 2, my app is filled with empty circles. January 2017: Same Story. Different Day. Or Year, rather. January 2018: I’ll give you one guess. All of this led to beating myself up for not being able to commit to just 2-3 chapters a day. To grow in my faith, at that. Current Year. January 2019: New Planner. “Goals” section in front. One of which includes:…
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A letter to my husband: when the newlywed phase has passed…
“You’re two good people, just maybe not good together.” Remember hearing this from several people in our life, during the beginning of our relationship? Truth be told, we would have given the same advice to our friends if they were in our shoes. We’ve even said recently, we wonder how we made it, looking back at our early days. We were young with baggage, but I guess this is one [huge] time where our stubbornness paid off. Today marks one year short of a decade together! The newlywed phase has made like Elvis and left the building. We no longer go out to dinner with friends every weekend. The days…
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What’s wrong with me?
“Freedom isn’t Free” I have seen several images spanning across the internet with this saying, in reference to Memorial Day. I could not agree more that there is sacrifice to be made, and I thank those who put their lives on the line for our day to day freedoms. This really had me reflecting on the word freedom and all the ways it can be perceived. Freedom of speech. Time freedom. Financial freedom. But probably one of the most important that I think we often miss is freedom of the mind. As a Man Thinketh Our mind affects so much of how we show up in life. All of us…
