I want to celebrate the wins, but time is fleeting and the ‘to do’ list is always screaming and sometimes I just get caught-up moving onto the ‘next.’

But in the day-to-day of life, our cheering section must include us. 

Like any masterpiece, our lives will have darker colors that weave in and out of the brighter ones we so prefer, mixing together to create a work of art no single tone alone could ever accomplish.

Vulnerability often feels like I’ve torn off restrictive clothing and embraced liberation only to realize that I’m now completely naked.

At times I desperately wish others would just avert their eyes.

In some illusive way I yearned for a ‘normal’ family, with no way to define it outside of ‘not us.’ I wanted our gatherings to be all things joyous, all things laughter, all things…easy.

Perhaps what I really wanted was all things fairytale.

I’m old enough to know better.

A grown woman wondering if her father remembers her birthday. Wondering if he remembers it’s been 50 years since she was born, 48 years since he walked away. 

You must stare down the threats that question your worth and refuse to be moved. No matter how faint, your voice must be the one that responds to the nagging doubts of value with the truth of who you are.

Yes. You. Are. Worth It.

We can chose to remember what it was to lean into identity without needing to have words. We can chose to remember our true value.

There was strength in every drop, a fierce defiance in the pool of moisture that collected on my clutched blanket. In welcoming the tears, I welcomed back my humanity.

I hope we can begin rewriting our ‘to-do’ lists, or at least begin realizing that much of what is to be done sits invisibly between every line. We are so much more than the tasks we accomplish.

Dreams reveal truths we didn’t know we were grasping for, the wanderings of the mind at night bringing light to questions the heart holds during the day. No matter how small your boat, let your dreams remind you that you are more than enough.

It is a brave thing to stand in the unknowns of life and hold to our identity while giving others permission to do the same. In searching for the humanity in others, we find acceptance for the humanity in ourselves.

In a desire to brace against the hard moments of life, how often do we surrender the good ones? In protecting against the lows, how often do we unknowingly sacrifice the highs?

Our dreams of the night speak deep truths that can be held in the light of day. But are we listening?

Find your lion and remember that strength lies within.

When life is difficult we often find ourselves feeling guilty or ashamed. But strength is found in admitting struggle and there is hope to be had right alongside all those hard things.

We are wise to question our understanding of another’s successes and failures. To the struggling caregivers out there - I’m sorry we’ve overlooked the truth about yours.

Surgery showed me I was not as strong as I thought - or was I? In dictating what strength should look like, we often mistakenly deem ourselves weak.

When we take the time to heal, our scars speak a truth better than fear. We were meant to rise again. We were meant to play unafraid.

Your strengths are beautiful and so are your weaknesses. There is power in you, right alongside all of that need.

It’s time for superwoman to be seen.

We are wise to pay attention to the small cries of our soul before they become combined echos beyond what a heart can sort. Mourning the small things matters and breathes strength out of perceived weakness.

The world waits for powerful women, women who bring their value instead of looking to others for it. Your value is stunning, it’s time you showed up with ALL of it!