LoveWorksStill

It has been a few months since I posted a blog.  Honestly, I have had to prioritize my second business with a move that required a lot of my attention.  For those who may not know, I am the founder of Captivating Montessori School, a homeschool enrichment community.  We are finishing up our second year and it has been an amazing journey.  And yes, I am a homeschooling mom.

However, I have been learning over the last year the strategies needed to write and create the way I was before the world opened back up and tried to fill up my schedule. Not just my schedule, but I am sure your schedule picked back up as well. What I have been doing a lot of is reading, training, and even giving my family a lot of love.

This past December, I heard that former First Lady Michelle Obama was coming out with her next book, The Light We Carry.  Excitement came over me as I heard her speaking a lot about friendships and just her personal discoveries of personal growth.  I remember listening to her first book, Becoming, on audiobook while I was running in a 5k race in 2019.  It was refreshing to pick up the speed during some powerful, profound thoughts versus trying to shuffle through songs that were hyping me up yet totally degrading to myself or someone else.  

Michelle’s voice was encouraging as she spoke about herself and expressed her own doubts regarding her husband wanting to go further in his political career. It was as if she was my aunt having a one-on-one pep talk with me about supporting my own husband’s goals because it was going to be uncomfortable. No one wants THE DRAMA! The Light We Carry was just as life-giving.

I found it rather encouraging to know that Michelle’s friendships were built intentionally.  With the high profile that she carries, her relationships required people she could trust to be vulnerable with, have fun with, and even exercise with.  She wasn’t able to drop her guard because her whole life stood out due to height as a child and as an adult,  the First Lady of the United States.  All of her gifts, strengths and desires made her feel disconnected because there were no examples like her around who she could see or study.  She wanted to belong.

Even her thoughts about going out in the world expecting people to like her were awakening!  According to her mother, home is supposed to be the place where you are liked.  My mother would also say, “Remember, Mommy loves you,” when I would tell her about the things that my peers would say about me.  Being liked was not really understood on my end until I became an adult learning how to communicate my needs and understand someone else’s.  To be honest, liking myself was difficult because I felt like I never made mistakes until I forced myself to just to feel more relatable to my peers. Trust me, it was not worth it!

She also talked about how busy her mind stays.  She lives a very structured lifestyle.  Oh, how I can relate since my undergraduate days.  The pandemic forced her to be at home solely around her family.  She started new hobbies that caused her hands to work but her mind to rest!  I have found that putting jigsaw puzzles together is that activity for me.  Yard work, whether cutting the grass or planting, gives me immediate gratification.  Drawing happens sometimes, but actually writing songs has been so rewarding for me.  I realize that laughing keeps me present and alters my brain to recognize what I am actually enjoying.  If you have ever met my children, they love to make people laugh.  One does it intentionally and the other one is just naturally hilarious when you least expect it but need it.

My morning workouts in January began with reading another book for 15 minutes while on the treadmill.  But when the heavy lifting began, I listened to a chapter or two of Michelle reminding me that I have a light that matters to the world.  There is someone who needs more light if only I would be willing to take the shade off of who I am in this world.  It takes more energy to hide than it takes to just show up as me.  

Go ahead and tell yourself, “Stop being self-conscious and be light!” It will probably be beneficial also to find a hobby that will give your brain a break and just let your hands do the work. By the way, if anyone knows how I can mail Michelle Obama a letter, please share that with me!

Always remember that #loveworkswhenourwordsdont! 💚

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