My First Blog

Today is the day I embark on a new journey...the blog. Never in my life did I think I would become a "blogger", but I was inspired after watching the movie Julie and Julia (probably like a million other aspiring writers). So what do I hope to accomplish from such an adventure? A big fat writing contract would be nice! However, just in case that doesn't happen, this is my simple way to keep my creative juices flowing while documenting my life as a mother of three.

For the past five years I have been trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Most people do this in their twenties, but I was busy birthing children during those years. It was just after my twenty ninth birthday that it hit me like a ton of bricks or rather, in my case, a wreath.

It happened during a MOPS meeting. For those of you who aren't mothers you're probably wondering what in the world is MOPS. MOPS, which stands for Mothers of Preschoolers, is a place where moms can put their children in the care of someone else for a few hours so that they can regain their sanity. It's the equivalent to the lunch break you get at work, except it only happens once a month, twice if your lucky.

During this particular meeting we were making a craft. Oh joy, crafts. Needless to say I am not a crafty person. Aside from the occasional paint by numbers and half knitted scarves, I don't do crafts. However, I went with the flow. After all, I wouldn't get another break for thirty days. So, I began to make my wreath. I looked around at the other mothers hoping to get some inspiration from their creations, but instead got something I hadn't bargained on.

Some might call it a nervous breakdown, but I like to call it an epiphany. As I was standing there watching the other ladies smile and laugh as the interior designers in them came out, I couldn't help but realize this was going to be the highlight of my week. Let's face it, it was going to be the highlight of my month. A wreath. I kept thinking over and over in my head, 'This is what I do now. I make wreathes.'

It wasn't that there was anything wrong with making a wreath, it just was I always thought by that age I would be doing something much cooler. As a kid I had big dreams. For the majority of my childhood I envisioned myself in some way, shape or form as a writer. Sometimes it was a top investigative reporter, other times it was an advice columnist, but most of the time it was an award winning, best selling author. By the time I entered college I had decided I would become a teacher so that I could use my summers to write. Needless to say at that time I hadn't accomplished any of those dreams.

I can't lie, I did have one dream come true, though. A dream that I didn't realize I had until a pregnancy test revealed it to me. I had become a mom, but that's all I had become. Don't get me wrong, I loved (and still do) being a mom. I wouldn't trade that part of my life in a second, it's just that being a mom wasn't the only thing I wanted to be. Looking around at those other ladies that day made me see that I wanted more. I didn't want making a wreath be a highlight in my life. Especially a bad wreath.

That pivotal moment brought me to where I am today. I've done a lot of soul searching the past few years, trying to find my place. Slowly but surely I am finding it- and now I'm going to "blog" about it!