More Joy. More Peace. More Power.

Tag: divorce

Glennon Doyle Ruined My Marriage

It was 2016. I read some clever articles by Glennon Doyle and one in particular stood out. It was something to the effect of, “Sometimes sisters choose to leave and sometimes sisters choose to stay.”

I made the choice to stay in 2013. I wanted all the justification for this drama I continued to put myself through that was available.

In the article, Glennon was promoting her book, Love Warrior. Love Warrior is Glennon’s story of staying.

I ordered my copy but while I waited for my copy to come, Glennon made the announcement that her marriage to her husband Craig ended.

I had a gut feeling that reading her book would lead to me making a similar decision. I was honestly nervous to start reading but knew I needed encouragement from someone who had walked down a similar path.

I was tired of conversations with other women who told me I was a better woman than they were. They boldly proclaimed they would never stay in that scenario. I didn’t feel like a better woman after those conversations. I felt convicted and… like I was making a weak move. Was I setting a bad example for my children by staying?

Two-thirds of the way through the book, I knew my marriage was done.

Glennon shared how after she and Craig split up, he fought to win her back. He did everything in his power to show he cared. It didn’t work at the time, but he did it anyway. He was pursuing her and their family.

I cried at the realization that I was not being pursued. I was, in fact, the one pursuing.

Shortly after finishing the book, I gave Jason an ultimatum. We could go to counseling and get help or call it quits.

We went to one counseling appointment and that was it. In that meeting, the therapist asked us both how we experienced love from the other person. I said I didn’t, and he admitted that he hadn’t been looking to give or receive love for years. Case closed.

Thanks a lot, Glennon.

No, seriously.

I don’t think it’s wrong for couples to stay together to work through marital problems if it’s both people working toward healing. That’s the best-case scenario.

Divorce is messy and draining and six years later, I’m still feeling big emotions about my marriage falling apart. It’s not a decision to rush into.

A self-care thought I often reflect on is EVERYTHING IS INTERCONNECTED. Our words and actions ripple out into the world. The Melton’s divorce story really did impact my heart to the point that I took action toward ending my marriage.

Isn’t that crazy?!

We are ALL interconnected.

I have made some great friendships through this 12-year I Am a Powerful Woman journey. I’ve been encouraged by the women who have interacted with my posts over the years and from time to time, I get messages that I’ve encouraged them.

Yesterday I put together a Facebook Group for single moms and former single moms who want to encourage those of us navigating single-mom waters. It’s called Single Moms Empowerment Community and I’d love to have you be part of it if you fall into one of those two categories. Follow this link and let’s interconnect.








It’s Not Like That Anymore

I’m moving…again. 

I’m tired of moving. This makes my 25th move in 43 years, that is if you count moving out of my mother’s womb as the first one.

This is the 16th move I’ve made with a kid/kids in 25 years and move #5 in 7 years! 

The worst part of this particular move is this house is perfect for my family, but it’s a rental.  As such, I don’t plan to be there for more than a year or two because the rent is stupid high. 

When I signed the lease, I asked the owner if he’d consider selling after a year. It’s part of his retirement plan so he doesn’t seem willing to part with it, but it won’t hurt to ask again next year.

“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”

Nora Roberts

I haven’t been great at meeting my expenses with much lower rent, so this will be a fun little experiment. If I do my job properly, my financial crisis should quickly resolve itself.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

I don’t know what your thoughts are on taking an active role in creating your life or manifesting your desires, but I declared that I wanted to make $100,000 in 2021. 

I was working in an office making $20,000 when I decided it was time dust off my health license and put it to use. I planned to quit the office job by February or March of this year and sell supplemental insurance full time.

My boss expedited the opportunity to make my desired income by switching from the company he’d worked with for 17 years to Family First Life, a few days before Christmas. It put me in a complete tailspin. 

After a couple of weeks of going back and forth about which company I wanted to make this $100,000 goal a reality with, I decided to pursue the opportunity with Family First Life.  (After you’re done reading here, you can click on the link to get a quick overview of Family First Life, if you’re looking for a career, part time or full time. Leave a comment here or message me on Facebook after you’ve watched the video if you want more information.)

I obtained my life license and made my first sale on February 25th!

If I don’t meet my $100,000 goal it will 100% be because I didn’t follow the system. If I put forth enough effort, I can meet and exceed my goal before the end of the year. If I keep doing like I’ve been doing from February 25th up until now, I’ll make a little more than I did last year, but I’ll be 70K shy of my goal.

I’ve kept my feet on the brake and accelerator, which isn’t helping me at all. I’ve decided this is deep rooted in money mindset issues. I’m so used to struggling financially and emotionally, so I’m doing lots of self sabotaging.

I’m finding very valid reasons (aka excuses) to not work diligently–doctor’s appointments…orthodontist appointments for 3 kids…this move…so on and so forth.

This morning I was trying to fall back asleep and my stomach was in knots. I was thinking about how the last 15 years have been some form of drama or turmoil. I’ve lived in chaos for f-i-f-t-e-e-n years. Sheesh kapeesh! That’s 14 too many.

11 of those were trying to sort through marital drama. To stay together or not to stay together? That was the question. (I don’t wish that on my worst enemy…well, maybe…but then I’d wish life lessons learned and lots of happiness on that B-word. I’m sorry, but she’s a real “not nice woman.” She treated my children horribly. It’s okay though because I’d only be wishing her 11 years of turmoil, not a lifetime. If I’m being honest, she’s suffered enough in her 40 something years, which is why she goes around causing others to suffer. If there’s a way for her to heal from her own trauma, the better off she’ll be and the rest of the people she comes in contact with, so the right thing to do is to wish her well from far far away.) 

I digress.

The last four years have been an attempt to stabilize after the separation, learning all the hard lessons one learns after a long term relationship ends, attempting to move forward in a healthy manner and making plenty of mistakes (just like I did during the first separation.)

Random Sidenote

If you haven’t been through a separation or divorce, you really think you know how you’d conduct yourself, but you have no idea how you’d actually respond. Thank God you haven’t had to go through it and be gentle with your friends and family members navigating that trainwreck of a new beginning. It’s Hell on Earth. They need your love and support more than anyone realizes. 

And we’re…

back to this morning. There I was, trying to rest, beating myself up for being in transition for the last 15 years. (That number still blows my mind.) The point of all of this is, much like declaring a monetary goal for 2021, it’s time to get rid of the story that I’m struggling and decide that I’m creating a phenomenal future.

The phrase NOW I LIVE came to mind. NOW I LIVE

I suffered. I did that. NOW I LIVE

I did my best to make it through challenging circumstances for 15 years. NOW I LIVE.

NOW I LIVE. NOW YOU LIVE. NOW WE LIVE.

I was talking with my former boss/soon to be former landlord a couple of weeks ago, about my money mindset hang ups. I stated my concern and he replied, “It’s not like that anymore.” It just rolled off his tongue as if he’d said, “The sun is shining.”

It’s not like that anymore. NOW I LIVE.

Let’s live now. This is our time!

As always, thank you for reading. I’d love to hear any thoughts you have from, “Me too!” to “Could you please write a blog post about ____________.” Drop your thoughts below.

No More Excuses

I wish I was a prolific writer.  I’m amazed by the amount of content that people are able to crank out constantly and what appears to be effortlessly.  I love to write but the words don’t seem to want to come out on paper. Writing is almost a painful process for me.

Perhaps I’m not completely alone in this.  Ernest Hemingway said,

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”


It’s possible the words haven’t been flowing because I’ve been busy binge watching Supernatural and New Girl.  Both of them have been a delightful escape from reality.

It’s possible I haven’t created because I’ve been preoccupied hiding from my life at friends’ houses when my girls are at their dad’s.  We share equal time with them, so they’re gone half the week. I haven’t handled the transition well.

I had a conversation with one such hospitable friend last night.  We talked seriously about my latest come apart. I’ve been completely overwhelmed by my circumstances and feelings lately.  During our talk, I brought up my codependent nature and how it isn’t serving me in moving forward the way I desire.

I kind of feel like Julia Roberts in Runaway Bride, who ate whatever type of eggs her fiance at the time was eating.


I’ve always thought of these parts of myself as being laid back, go with the flow, why rock the boat when you can be agreeable, positive qualities.  I still kind of do, but also have learned that it’s okay to voice my opinion occasionally…that is, if absolutely forced to do so.

These are people pleasing, fear of rejection, unflattering qualities that are easy to spot in others but I often fail to see them in myself because it’s how I’ve operated my whole life.  I guess I have to work on it. Dang it.

Time to pull out The Boundaries Book and possibly try Al Anon meetings.  I hear they’re beneficial for people who struggle with codependency. I’ll start with the book. Speaking of books and writing.

Perhaps I haven’t been writing because I’ve doubted my ability to produce anything of value to others and convinced myself that I shouldn’t even attempt it, instead of just writing for the sheer pleasure–well, except for the painful parts.

Back to codependency and not knowing what kinds of eggs I like. I actually do know what kinds of eggs I like–over medium, hard boiled, deviled, and scrambled with cheese…oh and I like scrambled eggs with salsa and a piece of buttered toast on the side.  

Image: From Runaway Bride–Maggie tries ALL the eggs.

Besides liking all the eggs, even though the birthing process of writing can be painful, I love to write.  If I’d spent the last two years doing more of what I love, instead of binge watching tv and avoiding my responsibilities (which just ended up producing a great deal of drama, which when I think about it will give me a ton of material to write about down the road) I could have potentially written a book by now.

All of this to say, my life hasn’t exactly been working for me and I want to work on myself and make the unpleasant circumstances better.  I haven’t been focused for many reasons, but as Jim Rohn says,

“If you want to do something, you’ll find a way. If not, you’ll find an excuse.”

It’s time to stop making excuses and just do it already.  Just work on personal development. Just write every day, even if it’s for 15 minutes.  Just deal with my life and make the changes I want, instead of running. (It all just came full circle and I didn’t even mean for it to.)

I’m embracing my life and…

I’m turning in my running shoes, just like in Runaway Bride!!!

I just looked outside to see if Richard Gere is out there.  He actually is, but he’s aged QUITE A BIT since that movie came out in 1999, so I shut the door and locked it.

What about you?  What is it that you’ve wanted to do for forever and keep putting off? I’d love to hear about it here on the blog or here on Facebook.

No more excuses. We get one life. Let’s decide right here and now to not excuse it away.

No One is Coming to Save Me

That Was Then

When Jason moved out of the house two years ago, my friend Joe said, “You’re going to be a different person in a year.”  He was referring to the “roller coaster” of emotions and changes that come with separation, divorce, and finding your place in the world.  I didn’t believe him at all. I was who I’d always been and I was determined to stay that way. Joe was well into his own “roller coaster” ride and much to my dismay, knew exactly what he was talking about.

In 2011, I experienced a BOOM in my personal development journey.  It was like an emotional Renaissance. I felt so ALIVE…so excited to be growing…to be thinking invigorating, life changing thoughts.

2012 brought the first separation and heartbreak. I tried to maintain the positive attitude, but I was in crisis.  I used what I’d learned from the previous year to stay afloat. That’s all I did. It’s basically where I found myself this morning, looking at my surroundings, overwhelmed and in tears. Actually I know that I’ve regressed back into a victim mindset.  At some point, I laid my POWER at my feet and have stood by helplessly, waiting for someone…anyone to come along, pick it up, and place it back in my hands. Friends have tried to tell me it’s there, but I didn’t believe them. There’s no way it would still be where I laid it down. I never even looked down to see if they were telling me the truth.

Stuck in the Muck

Over the last couple of years, I’ve grieved.  I’ve experienced intense loneliness.  I’ve been afraid. I’ve been immobilized. I’ve felt hopeless.  I’ve made choices I regret. I’ve turned into someone I don’t recognize.  I’m afraid to run into people from my past because I don’t want them to see what a mess my life is.  

I feel like a baby grown up. I don’t even know where to begin or what to do to save myself. I’ve just been surviving all these years. I’ve stayed trapped in my head with all of these negative thoughts bullying me around day in and day out.

What I hear all day are words like, “Failure…hopeless situation…incapable…impossible…lonely…all alone…”

In the words of my friend Rachelle, “What the crap?!”

On a particularly rough day last fall, I recognized that my thoughts weren’t exactly working for me. I was having trouble snapping out of my funk. Music wasn’t helping lift my mood, so I turned to The Happier Podcast for a dose of positivity.  Gretchen Rubin and Liz Craft feel like old friends at this point. They helped me through a dark time, but it wasn’t enough. My POWER was still lying at my feet.

Some time around Christmas,  my friend Jeri gave me the book 40 Days to a Joy-Filled Life.

This Is Now

Between the podcast, the book, heart to heart conversations with Bill Cumming and Linda Pritcher, and the ongoing love and support from my tribe, this morning I looked down at my feet and was delighted to see that my POWER was still there, waiting for me to pick it back up. Kind of like Dorothy’s ruby red slippers. I had it all along.

While friends and family can cheer me on and hold my hand when the days seem dark and scary, they can’t do this hard work  for me. I see again, like I did in 2011 when I decided that the victim mindset was no way to live, that no one is coming to save me.

With my POWER firmly in my grasp, I still don’t see HOW this is all going to work out, but I have hope that it will. HOPE.

From time to time, I catch this beautiful vision for my POWERFUL woman life.  

A life where I–

  • Indulge in creative projects
  • Think outside the box
  • Am fearless
  • Am a good support system for my children, emotionally AND financially
  • Have confidence and embrace my individuality
  • Believe the impossible for myself and others
  • Love with my whole heart (including myself)
  • Am fully alive and present
  • Have overflowing peace and joy
  • Have an inviting home
  • Have enough and then some to share

I won’t have time to worry about whether or not there’s a partner to share the journey with. If one should happen to join me down the road, great.  If not, great– because I will truly be happy in this life I will have created for myself.

Action Makes Traction

I have to guard my thoughts and words.  I can’t say, “Victim. Broken. Hopeless,” and expect to see strength, healing, and success.

I’m not stuck.  This isn’t how the story ends.  I know this because…MEMES. Memes don’t lie.

I’m ready to make traction.  I’m done being a victim. I own this life.  I own my choices past and present. I own my POWER. I’m moving out of my own way.

This week I’m going to set specific goals so I can track my actions and one day find myself in my vision, looking back on this day with a happy heart.

Even if I don’t make it…if I die next week, I’ll have lived fully until then, proving that happiness is in the journey, not the destination.  Again…Memes don’t lie.

As the gurus say, “Onward.”

And some say, “Onward and upward.”

Thank you for reading.  Thank you for being part of my tribe and for allowing me to be part of yours.

Much Love,

Sarah

If you’ve survived the “roller coaster” and have your feet firmly planted back on solid ground, I’d love to hear your best advice for keeping my hands and feet inside the cart at all times and making it back in one piece. You can share that right here or message/leave a comment over on Facebook. This site probably isn’t the most user friendly at this point (especially on a smart phone.) I’ll work on that.

Something New

“Now I’m going to write something new.”

As I typed the words into the Facebook messenger box, where I’ve done the majority of my writing the last couple of years, I felt a rush of energy.

Now, I’m going to write something new.

A few years ago, I declared I would be like Hemingway.

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” -Ernest Hemingway

For whatever reason, I’ve still been extremely guarded with what I share.  So guarded that I haven’t been sharing at all. Some of that is to protect my mom.  I love that woman a lot and if I share where I’m at in my thinking and the mistakes I’ve made along the way, she’ll surely worry herself sick.

She and I had a conversation about it one night. I stood by her bed and told her how much I admired other writers who write from their hearts. Mom’s thought was that being guarded is responsible. I’m not fully convinced.  

I realize I don’t need to run amuck and write my personal tabloid, but I do need to be true to who I am.  If that means an overshare here or there to drive home a point or connect with other humans, so be it.

Part of my holding back is because my story is entwined with other peoples’ stories and I want to respect their privacy.

Part of this guardedness is self preservation.  I don’t want haters and trolls puking their wrath on me.

I’m going to have to get over most of this if I’m ever going to be transparent.

I love transparency.  It’s so PURE. It’s so necessary. I appreciate people who live this way. I’m going to work on not being so afraid and when the time is right, I’ll share my mess.

“If you’re going to share widely, make sure you share from your scars, not from your open wounds.” -Glennon Doyle

I almost had myself convinced I’d forgotten how to write.

Now, I’m going to write something new.  

That statement feels like a fresh start.  I’m not just sitting down to write a new post tonight.  I can decide right now to create something new with my life.  

I wrote a post when my ex and I were separating about how my life was going to be different this time as compared to our separation in 2012.  You can read This Time It’s Going To Be Different here.

If I’m being honest, life hasn’t gone according to plan.  I had some great goals back then, but I didn’t keep them in view and ended up losing sight of my vision.

Maybe…maybe I don’t want to write something new tonight.  Maybe I want to focus on what’s already been written…because all of that was and still is my heart’s desire.  And I really believe I can make it happen.

Now I’m going to write something new…  

Showing Up

Showing Up

“You’re doing so well,” my friend Angel said to me the other day. From the outside, I may appear to be handling the separation, full time employment (for the first time in my life), the accident, and pending divorce well, but I’ve actually been struggling the entire time. And so I told her how not well I’ve actually been.

Before Jason moved out, I experienced crippling financial stress, loneliness, and hopelessness in just about every area of my life. I was quite overwhelmed. Even though I pushed for growth or separation (which I feel was an act of self love) my self esteem has taken a blow that’s set me back 10 years, back to before I learned anything about taking care of and loving myself. I’m at square one, only this time I can’t unlearn what I’ve learned.

I will eventually recall how to let thoughts go that don’t serve me and replace them with ones that do. I’ll remember that my value is just as great as yours. I will remember that I have choices available, even when I don’t feel like I do, and that choosing to do nothing is still a choice. I’ll remember that I can create my day. I don’t have to exist, reacting to what life tries to serve me on its mediocre platter. I have more control than what I’ve been able to see the last couple of years.

While I can’t control what happens around me, I can control how I react. I can set about putting events into motion and creating a life that I’m excited to live, instead of moping through the rest of my days, defeated and looking for acceptance and love from others, instead of filling my world with Real Love (check out this book if you haven’t yet.)

I used to power through hard times with such hope, knowing I was okay no matter what, thanks to what I learned from Bill Cumming and What Every Person Can Do.

I feel like I’m writing the same post over and over again. It starts out, “I’m struggling, but this is what I’m doing about it.” I keep saying I’m going to lean on the basics of Self Care and being present. I keep telling myself I’m going to give YOU more of my time, but my focus has been way off.

I have bursts of inspiration and for those brief moments, I feel like I’m capable of implementing the dreams I dreamed 6 years ago, when I first learned that I had more control over my thinking and my life. I had lived as a victim, waiting for someone else to give me step by step instructions on what to do next to have a happier existence. I learned I could be an owner (Thank you, Steve Chandler.) I worked on my thinking. I quit looking to anyone else for my happiness, but I’ve slipped back into a victim mindset. I’ve been crushed by my circumstances. I’ve definitely been looking to others to make me feel worthy and fill the void that separation left behind as a parting gift.

There’s No Perfect Tuesday

My friend Bevin told me years ago that there’s never going to be a perfect Tuesday when I wake up and all the problems are fixed…when I’m fixed. Why do I keep thinking I have to have all of my problems fixed to share with you any more? She also said that we can HAVE IT ALL, just not all at the same time.

This journey was never about me having all the answers or any answers really. It was about having an outlet to share what I was learning, as I was learning it, with a tribe of women…my tribe…our tribe… because the people we love and share our lives with, don’t always get us. They don’t always share our vision and even though they love us, they have the potential to crush our dreams instead of giving us the encouragement to GO FOR IT. But you and I get it. We get each other.

My commitment to you today is to show up in some form EVERY DAY, whether it’s a post like this, a goofy 2 or 3 minute video, Facebook live once a week (which still terrifies me) or a quote and a quick hello.

I’m showing up. Thank you for doing the same.

All my love (my REAL LOVE),
Sarah

 

I Am A Powerful Woman

This Time It’s Going To Be Different

This time it’s going to be different.

Early on in this separation (that hasn’t officially happened, but we made the decision 5 months ago) I decided circumstances were going to be drastically different than the last go around.

Already pretty isolated in 2012 (because we’d stopped going to church a few years before and we were no longer homeschooling) I shut out my closest support system for an unhealthy relationship, that took 6 months to break away from.

My Tribe

As soon as Jason and I decided this 19 year marriage was beyond repair, I reached out to multiple friends and said, “Will you be part of my tribe so when the loneliness come (because it does come and it comes with a vengeance) I don’t make bad choices?”  There were multiple yeses and actually not a single no. I’m so thankful for my tribe.

I’m keeping in touch and being transparent about what I’m up to in life.  Lots of checks and balances.

More Doing Things

I’m spending actual time with friends.  No more isolation for this girl!  I spent the last decade doing life alone and that’s no way to live. Within the last couple of months I’ve gone out to eat, to the movies, hiking, and to friends’ houses for actual old school visits and coffee. Long visits were weekly events 12 years ago.  How I’ve missed those!

Professional Help

I’m going to counseling regularly.  I KNOW I need this additional level of support.  I tend to put far too much on my plate, so it’s nice having input so that I take on new ventures and major life choices at an appropriate pace.

“Put yourself in the way of beauty.”-Cheryl Strayed

I’m buying plants a little bit at a time, a candle here, a cheap set of curtains there.  I don’t have extra money to spend on these little luxuries but they brighten my physical space and bring me a great deal of pleasure.   The amount of debt I have compared to the amount of income I bring in is a crippling figure, so in the words of Scarlet O’Hara, “I’ll think about it tomorrow.”

Speaking of tomorrow-

When life gets overwhelming, I’m taking a page from Glennon Doyle Melton’s book Love Warrior.

Do The Next Right Thing

Glennon wrote about making the decision to carry a baby after a lifetime of eating disorders and addiction.  “What is the next right thing to do?” she asked herself, with that pregnancy test in hand. That’s how she made it during her transition, always looking for the next right thing to do.

Knowing What I Don’t Want

I’ve been given some bad advice on what I should GO OUT and do.  While that might feel good in the moment, it’s not me.  I have zero desire to randomly date and have casual anything…  That seems like a fruitless distraction and way too much drama.  And besides, last time I rushed into the first set of arms willing to embrace me and ended up with a lot of regret, not to mention guilt from hurting someone looking for love in all the wrong places, and a hip tattoo! (sad but true.)

I have BIG goals for my life and chasing temporary comfort would throw me completely off course.

Back to the NEXT RIGHT THING

My goal is to continue to put myself in the way of beauty, create a life that is filled with LOVE (not the romantic kind…not yet anyway) but to focus on my other relationships, my children, my extended family, and friendships.

I am going to live a life that is so busy and full, that even though I will naturally tend to want someone to share the journey with, I won’t be wasting away waiting for it.

Be Present

I am going to live in the present as much as possible.  I am going to live each day to the fullest and squeeze every drop of goodness out of it.  Even on the hard days, I am going to “hunt for the good things.”

It’s true that there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.

Gratitude

The day my dad passed away, was not a day full of painful memories, but had sweet memories folded into it.  My dear friends drove by the nursing home and slipped money into my hand for lunch, so we’d have one less task to take care of that day.

I was relieved to see how many nursing home staff genuinely cared about my dad as they expressed their condolences.  In my mind, my poor dad laid in that bed for 2 years neglected and miserable, but the reality was that he was loved.

My mom, brother, his wife and I spent the next few hours dividing my dad’s small box of earthly belongings and just being together.

A month later, Jason and I separated.  I didn’t function very well the first couple of months, but even then, I remember being thankful for my kids and for all of the laughter we shared.  Bouchers are natural comedians, so there’s always always always something to laugh about, especially when others would find it inappropriate to be telling jokes and laughing.

Pursue Goals

I’m going to write and create and dream.

I’m going to take action on those dreams.  I’m going to pick ONE BIG DREAM (decisions aren’t my favorite) and pursue it even if I change my mind 3 months down the road.

Be Honest

I’m going to be really real.  I’m going to be honest.  I’m not going to hide hip tattoos or feelings.

And I’m going to be honest with myself.  That’s tricky because I haven’t allowed myself to feel the scope of feelings available to feel, like sadness and anger.  Those “BAD emotions” have been pushed deep inside to allow only the cheery positive ones to dominate my life up until recently.  Apparently when we don’t deal with our emotions, we can’t properly heal…blah blah blah.

So yeah, I’m going to allow myself to feel some crap and I’m going to acknowledge the thought or feeling for what it is and then move along to the next thought.

“Live the life you have imagined.” -Henry David Thoreau

My future will be filled with family dinners (around the table even), extended family dinners, delightful company, kids’ sleepovers, accomplishing goals -little and big, a vacation or two along the way, but also a lifestyle that gives me the feeling that my life is already a vacation-maybe not a vacation anybody else would want to go on, but my own personal vacation living.

This is my life and it’s a good one.  I’ve had trouble seeing that the last few months, but I see it now.

This post is so full of I’s, me’s, and my’s that I’m a touch uncomfortable, so now it’s your turn to tell me about ways you actively take care of yourself.

Share them in the comment section here or post a comment over on Facebook.

Thank you so very much for reading, for being part of this journey, and for allowing me to be part of yours.

~Sarah