As I was laying in bed, tossing and turning, I was thinking of ways to tell people who I am. The people who've changed me. The people who've shaped me. The events that shaped my life. After all those thoughts came crashing down, I decided to restart a blog, and begin with searching who I am.
Originally, I thought I would do this as a sort of "its-November-I-am-thankful-for-these-people" type thing. But then I decided I might have more to say and it may lead me in more directions.
So here it is, WHO I AM!
I am a 30 year old wife, mommy, daughter, sister, etc. I am normal as can be. I live in the same neighborhood that I grew up in, and wouldn't dare to live more than 15 minutes from my parents and this side of town. I LOVE football, sports, music, and my family most of all. These little details aren't what is exciting. It's all the things that have lead me here and will continue to lead me on to who I need to be that is what is important.
The best place for me to start is here.
This is my grandpa, Zack. I start with him because I feel all basic emotion and life lessons are exemplified in him.
When I was a kid, I thought he walked on water! I remember one time my cousin (who was about 3 at the time) pushed herself up on the screen door and knocked the screen out. My grandpa went to fix the door, but not before I could hear him say, "Oh Shit." It was the first time I'd heard him say a cuss word. I will never forget it. I think it made him more human and less God-like.
As I got older, I felt that my actions were often smiled and/or frowned upon by him. He never had to say which, I could tell by the way he looked at me. When I was 26, my longtime boyfriend (and now husband) and I got pregnant. I was able to tell everyone in my family easily; we were all so excited. For some reason, I hesitated to tell him. I didn't want him to think less of me because I had chosen to have a child before getting married. When I told him, he just smiled and said, "Yep, that's my great-grandchild. My first one." That was it. He wasn't disappointed, he was happy. I learned that I never should underestimate him.
It all adds up to this:
1. My grandpa isn't someone who achieved fame, or riches. He doesn't have a home or a new car. But he did achieve one thing: love. He loved a woman with all his heart and to the end of her days. He loves his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren in such a tender and supporting way. He is a lover. If anything, he taught me to love with all my heart.
2. He is a worker. He worked hard all his life; didn't take care of himself but made sure that his family was supported. In a time where there are so many people entering the workforce fresh out of college expecting the world, this man is my example. You want something, work for it! It won't be handed to you. I learned that it may even take years to get something to call my own, but I will not be too proud to put in the work. I learned this trait from other members of my family, but I feel that many of them were able to draw from my grandpa initially being the worker himself.
3. He is a man of few words. A simple man. He says what needs to be said, when it needs to be said. He does what has to be done, when it needs to. He takes pleasure in the small things in life, and most importantly, understands that the small things really are the big things. While I do hope that I am able to have some fine luxuries in my life at some point, if anything, I do know that the most important thing in my life is my family. There is nothing wrong with living a simplified life.
This was my starting point. Where would you start?
