I Am...

I am the baby born on Long Island to two young, long-haired, peace-loving souls.

Who entered the world as a surprise and has been constantly surprised by it since.

I am the child who played with Tiddly Winks and made Shrinky Dinks and loved her gray and white rabbit named Shalky. Who loved Donnie and Marie Osmond Barbies and the Rockin’ traveling van that went with them. Who stored pussy willows and buttercups in her treasure box and who dreamed of being a princess ballerina and never thought that dancing with a newborn could be the fulfillment of that dream.

I am the teenager whose father taught in the same high school she attended. Who wore parachute pants and leg warmers and loved Wendy’s Frosties and hated snobby people. Who double-pierced her own ears using Bactine and a needle, and then got caught and had to let them close up. Who dreamt of becoming a lawyer and never had a clue exactly how handy those skills would be when raising her own children.

I am the woman whose family became missionaries leaving the only life they’d ever known, while leaving her to finish college on her own. Who loves her family and friends with a fierce devotion and has come to appreciate and love the awe-inspiring Traditions of her Faith.

I am the woman who loves flowers and sunshine and goes crazy if neither are in abundance. Whose moments of perfect bliss come often, both in the quiet and the chaos, content in the knowing that she is living out the vocation handpicked especially for her.

I am the mother who loves paintings and the park, but absolutely abhors the mall… yet somehow manages to spend way too much money on her children.

I am the woman who plays soccer and the guitar, and loves watching her own kids play sports.

I am the mother who cried for months over the loss of her baby and then cried with joy at the birth of her youngest.

I am the woman who loves surprises, but still balks at change.

Who still longs to learn and know better: patience, true joy, and peace.

I am the person who dreamt of fame and fortune but is now so grateful for being small and secure.

I am the mother whose dreams now include not only her own family, but almost all of humanity. And who is so thankful for the privilege of being entirely connected to this world, while gazing with hope towards the next.

*If you'd like to do one of your own, go here*