Silver Lining

One of the best parts of MY 2014 was joining one of those secret all-female Facebook groups.  As a result, I have befriended masses of the most delicious women you can imagine.  Thousands, on a daily basis, convene in multiple conversations on this FB page that cover everything you can imagine.  And I do mean everything.  Every. Thing.  (Yes, what you are thinking right now, we covered that too!) These women are .... amazing. All ages, sizes, sexual and religious orientations, and from every corner of the United States and beyond.  The rules are simple.  Be kind and connect in the understanding that we are all different and rejoice in what a blessing that can be.

Over time, these women would connect and "clique up", forming sub groups and spin-offs from those sub groups.  While I am still a member of the "mother" group, I spend more of my time in these smaller circles that I have been (willingly) roped into.  As a result, many of the (literally) DOZENS have become "real life" friends - like THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH THE DEAD BODY kind of friends. Like life long friends I have in my immediate "real life"circle, these women have become some of my favorite people. I doubt there has been a day in the last year that one of them has not warmed me with her sunshine, laughter and conversation. These daily communications are as real and as rich as meeting a friend for coffee and I am here to tell you, they reward my day and caulk the bricks of my life with their sweet friendships.

So....while 2014 was a brutally humiliating  bitch that I'm more than happy to see gone, I know that I got to walk away with a handful of treasures.  These sweet women are a few of them.

Hello people!

I am not sure what happened to time.  I could swear that I was 27 like....three months ago.  You know that feeling when you are super busy for a few weeks and when you come up for air, a whole season has passed?  That sort of sums it up.  I was hanging with friends, working, studying, dating...  The next thing I knew, the dreaded 4-0 was RIGHT THERE and I had no clue where the previous 13 years had disappeared to.

Do not fret - NONE of it went to waste.  I have a decent education, a wealth of friends, an improving credit score,  a well of stories filled with humor, stupidity and shenanigans, a family I understand and appreciate on more mature level, hobbies that bring me peace and joy, a husband who has taught me more about love than anyone I know and.....a  hot mess of cellulite.  I was tossed a couple of MAJOR life challenges - the tragic death of a boyfriend, a raging case of anxiety, the loss of almost EVERY grandparent I was given and an introduction to my biological father who...well, let's just not go there today.  ALL OF THIS has segued into a recognition that I am worth more than I have ever known.

As a result, I have slid into 40 with a certain amount of grace.  I have come out of my challenging 30's with a deeper love of self, confidence in who I am as a daughter, sister, lover and friend.  I feel so sexy in my skin. I know what I bring to the table and am completely okay with that.

I am me without apology.  I encourage you to feel the same.

Leaping into the Blog-o-sphere!

You can thank Nelson Mandela's death for my presence.  One could speak for hours on the goodness of a humanitarian of his caliber (Thank you Lord for blessing us with this darling soul!), but to this American, 41 year old white, middle-class woman, 8,076 miles away from Pretoria, South Africa, who has never known anything remotely resembling the struggle HIS people endured, his message is this: BE BRAVE  FOR YOUR GOD, YOUR PEOPLE (LOVED AND UNKNOWN)....AND YOURSELF. HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE YOUR MOST AUTHENTIC SELF.

I have the feeling this is not always going to be easy...but it might just be worth it.