Notes to My Loves

            Two years ago, I took a leap of faith.  A door opened and I walked through it.   To say it was not scary leaving something that for 20 years had become my normal routine, would be a lie. Doubt filled thoughts danced through my head. Would I like the new change? Would it financially work out? What if it was short lived? What would I do then?   However,  there was this voice inside my head. It was quiet, yet persistent. It said, Take the Risk .             Looking back now, I believe that this voice was the Holy Spirit. I decided to listen and not look back.  This journey has taken me to so many physical and emotional places and it has been an amazing journey.  I have met positive visionaries from all over the world. People who are now part of the tapestry of my life. They are threads that continue to add dimension and color to the ever changing art piece.         In these last two years I have grown so much in so many ways.  Taking a step away from what was my routi

Horses . Tigers. Dolphins.  What do these animals have in common? No it is not that they are all mammals. It is not that they are all found in the wild. When I see these animals, there is one word that comes to mind. Majestic. According to Google, for something to be majestic it must have or show great beauty or dignity. When these animals are in their element they are beautiful creatures that are one with their environment. They are doing what they were created to do. There is true beauty there and one that cannot be replicated by man. The horse, when on the open plains, does not have to think hard about galloping. They are not manipulating their muscles to do what needs to be done. Their hooves beat the ground in perfect rhythm and create an equine orchestra that has sounded in our country since the 1500's. Their speed and skill are not forced. It is what they excel at. It is what they do. The tiger does not need to put new stripes on to blend in. He or she does not

It happens about two or three times a week. The nightly routine goes smoothly, or at least as smoothly as possible with three kids. There are the usual baths/showers, tuck ins, ritual back scratching, prayers, soothing music, and night lights casting a warm glow of safety and warmth. I exhale and think, mistakenly, that I will have some 'me time'. You know, that time that never really truly comes unless you leave the state and perhaps fly to California! I finally snuggle down into my warm bed. Perhaps I will try to read the book that has sat on my bedside table for so long. Maybe I will peruse Pinterest and pin a couple new recipes that will inevitably stay pinned in 'the cloud' and never make it to our table. Just when I feel that the quiet has come to the house, and my chicks are safely dreaming in their beds, that is when I hear it. CLICK! No, it is not some scary intruder. My dog happily snoozes away and ignores the sound. To him it means nothing. The

     There is a woman I know.  She often times speaks about her children and all the funny things they say and do. They are truly the best and most wonderful gifts she was ever bestowed. This I know to be true. But then I see her loose her patience at those same children she so claims to love. Her voice becomes harsh and quick and her eyes pulse with irritation. When she does this, a piece of my heart breaks for her. I know later she will feel the guilt only a mother knows.      There is another woman I know. She reads things in books and then relives them in her dreams. She watches documentaries and they root themselves into her heart. She feels aortic tugs when she learns about children suffering and shares these stories with her own children. There are photos on her fridge of children throughout the world. She wants her kids to know that they must always look to help others. When I hear her talk to her children, I become inspired. I want to be more like her. I want to ask her how

     In my pre-parenthood days, there was a lot of advice that was given freely from many sources. Some of it was appreciated, some of it was filed away for when the time came for transitioning from nursing to solid food, and many times I just naively rolled my eyes and swore I wouldn't be 'that' parent.     Looking back, having ten parenting years under my belt, it seems that much of that advice revolved around adjusting to having a baby, the months after the baby arrives, how to lose the baby weight, and how to juggle all the newness and nerve wracking events all rolled into one. This can be a very messy time for sure.     But where I sit now, there is much more that I would have liked to know about before getting into this profession called parenting, and I mean that with all sincerity. In fact, there is not much in terms of job experience that has gone undone in the last ten years.     I have wiped, changed, and cleaned every person, pet, and surface in this house.

S uperheros have super powers. This is something that is accepted without question. Superman can fly.  NO problem. He can freeze things with his super breathe. Got it! We don't judge him for the bright spandex he wears.      The Flash is wicked fast. If you need a buddy to help you out, he is the one to call.  We don't judge him for reacting too fast.      The Hulk, well, his power is a little on the wild side, but we are fine with it. We don't recommend anger management or group therapy. We don't even judge the green color makeup he chooses to don when angry. Tame the beast? No, he is alright with us.      Spiderman, being bit by a radioactive spider, and being able to spin webs able to carry the weight of a two ton truck? Absolutely. We don't gossip about him spinning one too many webs. And who hasn't seen a radioactive spider?  I am sure there are a few right now lurking in my basement.     Surely we can't overlook Wonder Woman with her invisible je