It's MY Journey, and I'm Taking My Time

This past weekend I was sitting in my driveway at a firepit, and my neighbor’s daughter (who is 14) was there and we were talking.    We were having a conversation about school, and social media, and friendship, and Homecoming, and more.     This girl is amazing, and she is one of my favorite people.    So much so, that I spent a night with my adult friends, talking mostly to her.   And she had a lot to say…..some incredibly funny, and some pretty serious, and some that really made me think. I was telling her something my eighth grade daughter had said to me about not wanting to do anything to embarrass herself that would follow her to high school.    And my young friend exclaimed “I KNOW!!    I COMPLETELY AGREE!”      And I tried to impart my adult wisdom to her saying something like “be yourself” or whatever.    And here is what she said… “I know it seems that way.    But I think it’s harder for my generation than it was for yours, because everything goes on Instagra

I went to the gym today. Again. It’s been a while.    And I always feel a little dread when I know a workout is going to be hard.    But I went.    AGAIN.   And even though I haven’t been in a while it never occurred to me that I wouldn’t go back.    That even though I have gained a little or lost a little or whatever, that no matter what, no matter how long has passed, no matter how much I know it might suck, I ALWAYS go back. And   I had a little light bulb moment that has been brewing in my head for a while. I belong to a great gym.    Anytime Fitness in Liberty is awesome.    I love the staff, my trainer who I have been with for several YEARS is there and he rocks.    I have friends I can always count on for a hello when I am there…..    It’s great.    And I have very little to complain about except this. Before and Afters.    Corporate gyms always post the before and afters of their “success” stories to motivate people, and lately I have seen on their

Last weekend I drove to Iowa to move my parents from their home of 40 years on the farm to their new home in town.     I was five years old when they moved into this house.    I have no memory to speak of, of any home before this one. As the week drew shorter leading up to the move, I found myself feeling very emotional.    As I received updates from my sister on the state of the move, I would cry, or be sad, or find myself just sitting and looking at pictures trying to burn them into my head.   I was so afraid that once mom and dad moved from the house, I would forget everything.    And in this case, everything meant a great portion of my life.     Like somehow THIS house contained my childhood, good times and sad times, and when it was gone……that would be too. So I started making a list of things I didn’t want to forget.    I didn’t want to forget the dinging sound that the flagpole made when the wind blew hard. I didn’t want to forget which stairs to skip to mak

I want live completely in the sun. This is a simple statement, but one that I have taken a long time to come to.   And when I say this, I don’t mean I want to go to the beach, or sit outside (although that would be AWESOME), what I mean is, I want to take ALL of my life into the sun.    To do this, I have to give a tiny bit of back story… When Andy was born, he was not healthy.    It was a tough time for us.   Fast forward a few weeks in his life, and we are having long term stays at Children’s hospital. It was a very tough time.   You would think that a Children’s hospital would be full of light, but in reality, that place was dark.   They had expanded building next to building with no regard to sunlight or air.    Our room had two windows, both of which looked out not upon a sunny courtyard or play area, but upon a brick wall that extended floors upward blocking the sun, or any view of the outside world.    I never thought of it until today, but those windows to