she said

She said you make the world a more beautiful place to be

She said it is your good energy that generated all of the goodness

She said thank you for providing all of these opportunities to connect with wonderful people around the globe, and for being authentic and vulnerable enough to help all of us work through this wonderful thing called life.  You inspire.  You make a difference.

She said the way you express yourself is truly an inspiration to others

She said you are a part of my fondest memories ever

She said you have put into words what we all feel

She said you are amazing and inspiring

She said everything you write is so full of heart

She said you capture the best moments

She said you speak from the heart

She said you are a gift

She said you are writing is amazing

She said you are beautiful

She said one of the things I admire so much about you is how you are aware of such beautiful feelings and then how you can verbalize them and make us feel it to

She said I heart you

She said I miss you

She said I am so happy you were here

She said I love the way you use your words, you pull at heart strings

It was what she said that opened up my eyes to the journey I am currently traveling.  I keep dreaming that my writing will make a difference, that I will gather and tend to the souls of others, that what I do in this world matters.  

Hearing what she said made me realize that I am currently walking the walk.  While deep in the thick of it I did not realize that I am already living my truth.  I am cultivating my dreams.  I am tending to hearts.  I am writing from a place of honest vulnerability.  I am touching peoples lives the way I have always dreamed of.  I am inspiring others.  

Sometimes we need our dear friends to hold a mirror up in front of us so that we can see all that we are.  It is through their reflection of us that opens up our eyes to our own innate beauty.  They see us through unfiltered lenses.  They are the recipient of our energy.  They feel what we give them and they can show it back to us.  

She said ... is a prompt from a course I am taking called Community Grace with Hannah Marcotti.  The prompt was to go through text messages, emails, social channels, and interactions with our tribe and pull out the pieces when they hold up the mirror showing me where I am really there for them.  

I took some time to go through my facebook feed and found the above words written from others.  It opened up my eyes to the journey that I am on.  To quickly I can lose sight of all I am.  It is my tribe that constantly holds up the mirror and helps carry me through.  They reflect the purest pieces of me, and I do the same for them.  

This is a reminder that we are not meant to travel this journey alone.  We are meant to walk together.  To hold hands, laugh, and love.  

I encourage you to go through this exercise and see what you can unearth that your tribe has reflected back to you.  Write your own She Said and tuck it in your pocket to turn to again and again.  For what they say is the truth. Feel it, know it, believe it. 

giving thanks

There is beauty that surrounds me.  In the four walls of my tiny apartment, there is love.  I am engulfed by goodness, hope, and courage.  A support system to lean on and the opportunity to reach for my dreams.  I am encouraged and guided.  I know that I can spread my wings and try to learn how to fly.  

I am a seeker of beauty, laughter, kindness. I want to fill this world with sunshine and light.  Love notes and feathers found remind me of the beauty in the unexpected and thoughtful connections to those who are here and those who have passed.  

I take time to savor the moment.  To feel the warm sunshine on my skin.  Appreciate the way his hand feels when it is holding mine.  And love the connections that come when we choose to be vulnerable and allow our hearts to be seen.  

I show up in this world with my heart on my sleeve.  Weaving connections from our true stories, even the ones that are difficult to tell.  We all know that life isn't always sparkly and I choose to embrace all the moments. 

I want to live out loud. To leave my mark of kindness and compassion.  I want to encourage others to hold there stories gently, examine them, and tell them.  I want to be a guide for you as you show up the page.  I want to let you know that you aren't alone. 

I want to bring you together with others.  Because it is in community where incredible breakthroughs occur.  There is so much kindness and love in this world.  Compassion for each other stories.  When we are surrounded by this we grow immensely into the person we always wanted to be.  

But most importantly I want to give thanks.  For this life, right here, right now.  It hasn't always been easy.  There have been mountains to climb and pieces to but back together.  It has been a journey filled with incredible emotion and it has all lead me to here.  To this very moment where I sit smiling.  My heart filled with love and gratitude.  

Grateful for it all.  

grateful for this ride

Life is one adventure after another.  With twist and turns that we never expect, but must muddle through.  We end up on the floor in a puddle, unsure of where to turn or how to get up.  But someone how we manage.  We reach, we stretch, we grow, and we rise.  We stand taller than we ever knew we could.  We wipe away our tears and boldly face the world.  We jump into the unknown and take  chance on the ferris wheel even when we are terrified.  We take the risk.  We suffer the fall.  We leap without knowing where we are going to land.  

Yes, this is life.  Our one wild and precious life.  We have choosen to live it. To show up in it.  To be present to all the feelings and emotions that rise. We know it will not always be rainbows and butterflies.  We will falter.  We will feel hurt and pain.  We will suffer.  Yet we will also form friendships.  Fall in love.  Make memories that last a life time.  Laugh deeply and find new paths home.  

Along the journey we find ourselves, over and over again.  We discover what moves us.  We become stronger in who we are.  We navigate our own path and reach for our dreams.  We reach further than we ever thought we could go.  We see our dreams come true.  We understand the hard work it takes to make them happen.  We don't give up. We don't ever give up.  

We are grateful for this ride.  For this crazy wild adventure.  For the unknowns.  The twist and the turns.  For the deep love and the warm embraces.  We are grateful for it all.  We know that with love comes pain and we are ok with taking that risk.  We will always risk because with risk comes growth and we are forever growing.  

celebrating what was

It can be easy to sink deeply into the rabbit hole of sadness
Dreaming and longing for what could have been
Wishing and hoping that things were different
Yes, so easy to do this
But that is not the only option
In the face of tragedy you can choose joy for what was
Show gratitude for all that has been
And share the moments of smiles and laughter that were
Relive the memories by telling the stories
Celebrate the life that was lived
And the legacy that will continue on
Spread the love and dance wildly
Because that is what she deserves
She came here to live, and she did just that
Choose to feel the joy
Let her light shine through you

a way of belonging

I want to talk about the belonging, and the way it just happened
So easily
So simply
With no struggle or fear
We fell into one another, and there we stayed
It happened by chance 
And an understanding between us grew strong
There is a moving together that works
Compassion, kindness, and love
A letting go of expectations
And a letting in of our worlds expanding
It was what neither of us had expected
Yet it felt so right, so real
Now here we are, almost four years later
And this belonging has blossomed and grown
It shines bright even in the darkness
And can be felt in a glance across the room
We value the respect we give one another
And always allow space to grow and dream
We tend to each others hearts
And walk side by side on this journey called life
We are each others biggest fans
And we listen deeply to the words unsaid
Yes, there is this way of belonging
Of him and me, together
 

here's to the guy

Here's to the guy who sat with me for hours and hours just to teach me math
Who quizzed me in spelling
Taught me how to throw a ball
And the value of hard work

Here's to the guy who never let me give up
Who lead by example
Was always there for anything I needed
And who I look up to

Here's to the guy who has been there since the beginning
Who never gave up on me
Pushed me to try harder
And loved me unconditionally, no matter what I put him through

Yes, here's to the guy who is strong and wise
Who can calculate any math problem in his head
Light a fire with one match
And hand a tarp higher than you can imagine

Here's to the guy who is my father
Who continues to teach me open my heart
Lean into family
And be brave

Happy Fathers Day "Father"!  I love you!