A Tribute to Veterans

You know them; the seemingly grumpy old men in town. The ones that fly the American flag proudly (to code, I might add) and don’t shy away from political opinions. The ones that have stickers on their bumpers, tags on their trucks, and hats on their heads, representing a most defining time in their lives.

These old men have seen more than most of us ever will.

You know them; the families that aren’t around on New Year’s Eve and Fourth of July. Every year you ask them to participate in the community fireworks, but they decline. Have you ever thought…maybe there is a reason?

PTSD is real. Don’t overlook it.

You know them; the people that have left to fight a war and return home a seemingly unrecognizable, different person. The shell of their body might be the same, but their insides are not.

Please read the rest over on Knoxville Moms.

As Moms We Lose A Lot

As moms we lose a lot.

We lose our patience, sometimes our minds, and almost all of our pre-kid selves.

We sometimes lose sight of our futures because we are stuck in the mundane grind of today. (Moms with little babes, you feel me )

We lose precious time with our kids when we let our mom guilt have free range.

BUT. We gain so much, too.

We gain the ability to find joy in the chaos and the silly amongst all the seriousness.

We gain self awareness and realize when we need to step back and reevaluate.

We find ways to be present with our families and still accomplish things that need to be done.

We gain the privilege of raising souls that God entrusted us with. Each one hand picked by Him for each of us.

I’ll lose my mind over and over again in order to gain the love I have in my little best friends.

This originally appeared on Facebook.

You're Different

“You’ve changed. You’re different.”

Well... Isn’t that kind of the point?

To change, I mean. To become better versions of ourselves over time.

Why do people only view growth as a bad thing if, by their definition, it’s “different”?

Life isn’t meant to be lived inside a box. Keep learning. Keep growing. Keep doing hard things. Apologize for the past and continue moving forward. Keep becoming more.

More knowledgeable. More heartfelt. More intentional. More well rounded. More caring. More understanding. More of whatever you want to be.

Change can be good. Uncomfortable, sure. But different isn’t *always* bad.

Don’t be afraid to become more of who you know you’ve always been - and who you already are.

This originally appeared on Facebook.

Sometimes I'm a Bad Friend

Sometimes I’m a bad friend.

I’m sorry I cancel plans at the last minute. I’m sorry I’m not always reliable. I’m sorry I read your texts and sometimes respond hours later.

I’m sorry I say “YES!” whenever things are brought up, only to inevitably later say no when reality checks in for me.

I promise I mean well. I truly do. It’s just that time isn’t solely my own anymore. I’m still adjusting to it myself.

These kids take all of me most days. Am I grateful? OF COURSE. But I can be grateful and tired too. Sometimes there isn’t enough of me to go around.

Mamas have been wearing too many hats this year, but I think I can say we are finally getting the hang of it. (Maybe?)

If you need someone to vent to, I’m here. If you want someone to lean on, call me.

If you show up on my doorstep, I will welcome you in with open arms. As long as you promise to ignore the disaster that is the inside of my home.

I know I may not always seem like best friend material, but I’m still here.

Sometimes I just have puke bowls to clean and floors to mop.

I’m still cheering for you. Still praying for you. Still rooting you on. Still here for you.

I promise.

Sometimes it just has to be from afar.

This originally appeared on Facebook.

I'm Not a Baby Lady

I’m not a baby lady.

Nope. 2+ is my jam. They can walk, talk & mostly feed themselves. They sleep late. They can be potty trained. 

They light up when they learn something new. They are filled with the desire to please. They love BIG. They know few boundaries. They say hi to strangers and then proceed to tell them all about their favorite toy truck. They give out hugs like it’s their job. 

2+ is FUN. It’s weird. It’s chaos. There are tantrums and some long nights. There are many (oh. so. many.) tears as they try to navigate this complicated thing called life that the rest of us have a major head start on. 

Don’t get me wrong, babies are a slice of Heaven and magic in the purest form. They bring snuggles and so much love. I enjoy that first milestone filled year, too. 

But toddlers are something else. I think I was made for it. 

I like dance parties and eating cupcakes just because. I like saying YES to random requests, even though I often feel like all I say is no. I like living a few hours each day with no limits, because let’s be honest, toddlers don’t have any. 

My son has started calling me Mom lately. I’m not ready for it. My baby, my boy, the little dude that turned my world upside down - I’m not Mama to him anymore. I’m Mom. It makes me sad. 

But, it also fills me with hope. 

Hope that I’ll love each stage of his little life more than the last. Hope for my family. Hope for the future. 

Hope is a wonderful thing and toddlers are full of it. 

Maybe that’s why I love this stage so much.

This originally appeared on Facebook.