Grace.

May the love we share with family and friends renew us in spirit.  May the spirit of hope, joy, peace, and love dwell within our hearts this day and forever.  ~Amen.

About a year after I had my first child I felt a little lost.  Like the things that made me me were gone or different somehow. 

I looked for religion, motherhood, womanhood...something to warm the chill in my spirit.

Ultimately,  I just made a simple list. 

This isn't surprising to some of you.  I am a list maker in every compulsive way possible.  If I spent half the time I spent listing things actually doing things, I would be uber productive.  It would impress you.

Anywayz... I listed it all; what I like, what I want, what I think people would say when they described me.  Just whatever came to mind first.  Free~form.  Don't over think it.  Here's what I came up with:

Photography, coffee, wine, cooking, books, music, art, poetry, fairies, dancing, retro, relaxing, talking, therapy, travel, hiking, painting, candles, ice skating, yoga, freshly painted nails, warm drinks, good hugs, and sisterhood girlfriend connections. 

Here's my "be me" mission statement. 

 I am an optimist, dangerously sentimental and I believe that the heart of life is good. 

This simple list stayed in my purse (still does and it is dirty and torn).  Every once in a while, when I felt like my identity was gone, and I was just mom; diaper changer & chocolate milk fetcher, I would pull out this list. 

I would check, just to see if I was being true to myself, was I doing these things?  Was I doing Brittney? 

It kinda worked. 

So here's your homework. 
Make your list.  This can't be about your family (it can include them) but consider who you were before you were married.  Who were you in high school?  Are there parts of that person still there?  Is your career or being a mother the defining parts of you?  Good.  If not, Good.  You are You and there will only be one of you for ALL time.  Fearlessly be yourself. 

Find the best parts of who you have always been, since the beginning, and make them shine.
 It is never too late to be who you might have been. 
And that's my motivational speech for the day.

 C-YA

I want to buy the world a coke...