(Photos delightfully done by Jenna Lee Photography, thank you queen for being part of my process)

I have been wrestling lately with what to do with fragmented parts of my story. What to do with moments, experiences, words, touches that have been impactful levels of trauma in my world. I have heard so many times that you forgive to free yourself, that is it not about the other person, that you offer yourself this gift of letting go…. But honestly HOW!

How the fuck do you let go of things that have become like boulders in your body?

This journey is a closing of a chapter, a redefining, changing eyeballs to decided to see the world differently.

There was a deep incongruence between the part of me that wanted abuse, divorce and trauma to not be the thing that defined me; and my body that really really really remembers it all and became skilled at holding on tight to them. I needed a new framework to experience it all through. Comfort came in the form of new imagery; go with me on this aligning path of cognitive reasoning and body’s existence; and you may find yourself in the narrative too.

When trauma intersects your life, it is stored in your muscles, facia, skin, tendons and your mind. In the future your nervous system remembers and you react as if someone bumped against an actual stone of pain in your body and the obvious choice is to fortify in an effort to protect yourself. In this stage there is no choice but to respond, you feel the attack is personal. You become a body full of rocks.

The canvas for my new perspective is found in the scenery of a northwest forest.  A canopy of sky scraping trees, with rugged bark and emitting the smell of fresh air and pine. Moss covered boulders adorn the uneven surfaces and there is a whistling in the trees of a breeze. The spray from a crashing waterfall mists my skin,  the path is muddy and challenging with switchbacks and exposed root systems. Ground cover fills in the inbetween with various leafy plants and vines. This forest is well watered, supple. The trees speak of lifetimes that they have been in this place; they act out the old soul that I feel very much in my inner workings. There are specific spaces where the sun breaks through on the path; like nature’s expression of hope.

The forest is your life, varying levels of elevation, experience,  textures, hope filled sun bursts, exposed roots. It all is a part of what makes up the forest; what makes up you. I had this moment of gratitude as I looked at the 360 view of my life and all that is in the forest. Without the dips, the vistas would be nothing to write home about. In the comfort of nature I take inventory of the stones in my body; it is hard to hike with them inside of me. I take a moment to mentally place a stone from inside my hidden narrative onto my forest path. Studying the jagged edges of the situation, I realize that this stone is now on the path and not inside of my body any more. I take a step away from it and look back, the stone is still there but I do not feel it inside my current experience anymore. I take a few steps away and then walk back to it. THIS IS IT, I feel the power of the letting go and the gratitude for that rock. The memory and experience is no less real, or valuable, but I do not need to take it on the whole hike with me. I get to rest it in my life experience forest, and any time I feel the need to visit the rock I can. The memory belongs to me, and at the same time it is separate from me. I am not my trauma.

And now when situations come at me, I get to choose if I want to run to the rock, pick it up again and use it or if it gets to stay where I placed it.

Where does the rock serve me best?

I can grab the stone to resonate with another woman that has uncovered infidelity in a relationship, a friend signing the final divorce papers, a mom that has miscarried, a guy friend that was laid off, a client that is making sense of their “no” being disregarded and their body being violated. In these conversations my rock is powerful, it brings healing, relatability and empathy. But the rest of my days I can move with ease, dance uninhibited because my rock is not needed there. I love that my forest is colorful, my past is precious, its mine. And with new eyes, and a few less rocks in my gut I venture on to see what comes next in this forest of my life.

Photos by the incredible Jenna Lee Photography

If you knew you would be supported what would you do?

You know, some light hearted thinking as another year wraps up. Recently in a coaching session I was challenged, deeply to look at my world through new lenses. (side note, that is why having a coach is the best way to level up your life…. Just saying) It became really apparent to me that through my life experiences, opinions of others,  traumas, successes, and survivals that I had come to adopt a mentality of separating my magic from my everyday life. One of the hardest mindset shifts that trauma has had on me is that I could not actually trust what I see around me, that I need verification from someone else because I was unable to protect myself before. I didn’t believe that I would be supported in big things, so I shrank my sites on just surviving, and in the process there was no room to just be me. I also learned that being big, seen, or showing up for myself resulted in life altering pain. The ever present message was that I was somehow too much, and not enough at the same time.

To protect myself  I created a treehouse of sorts in my mind, where I could go and dream, interact with the world how I wanted, with a limited guest list. My treehouse was a symbol of safety, with tall ceilings, rope swings, dancing and music, fuzzy blankets, wine and whiskey and enormous cement walls around it to keep others out. In here I could magic, in here I could feel intense feelings and let myself go. In here I could be highly sensitive, affectionate, enthusiastic, and sensual. It was a beautiful way to find my way back to a part of me that I thought I had lost. In here I could heal. I recommend having your own safe place, this mental treehouse is a tool that I will forever be thankful that I have.

However, I began to get a little too good and saving my moments to shine for a small, select audience. The ones that knew the club house rules, heavily vetted voices. I would look to them to confirm that my ideas, my personhood, my heart were actually good, valuable or worth a damn. I am forever grateful for those that let me borrow hope in this journey and spent time with me in my treehouse. Their contributions to this life of mine are without measure. They helped me feel comfortable in my skin.

Now my coach interjected a new way of thinking; what if my specific version of being big, showing up, being too much or, not enough, could actually exist in my everyday life? What if my treehouse splendor was better suited to be put smack dab in the middle of all that I do, and all that I am? What if the world around me was actually hungry for the type of magic that I do well and by hiding out I was missing opportunities for connection and growth?

Dear heart, your own version of how you work to be of benefit to others and yourself is valuable! Without having to keep your head and eyes on a swivel for confirmation of your creation, YOU in this very moment are enough!

So as terrifying as this feels to me, I am going to set to the task of taking down my cement walls, and reclaim my moments of self confidence that were available to the highest bidder or loudest message. I trade a fragmented life of bite sized safety for a future of manifesting bold and meaningful moments with others. I trust that I have chosen a fantastic crew of close companions that will be my ride or die friends in this more cohesive way of living.

From now on, I am going to take it as a compliment, when someone tells me I am “so deep” “feel too much”, “extra” or “a lot”. That means they got to peak inside my treehouse in real time; and that is a victory for me! ‘Im living the life I had set out to live. Trauma didn’t trample me, pain didn’t silence me, I am still here, showing up for myself, but this time in my personal magic with skin on.  Somehow that feels just a little less scary. You do not need anyone else’s permission to be awesome 🙂

What is your version of magic? Do you use it on the daily, or do you feel it should be edited for public consumption? What small ways can you start to integrate versions of you?

Side note: trauma is real, it is painful, complex and hard. If you are reading this and are still in a space of deeply healing from trauma be gentle with yourself, make your treehouse comfortable first before you invite others in. Find a counselor to walk you through this. To be an open hearted participant in your life, you must know the ins and outs of your story first. Make your treehouse comfortable, and try one person at a time into that safe space, and then build from there. We are all in different stages of the journey, you are seen and loved just as you are in this moment. Honestly you will know when it is time to let your tail feathers shake a little more, you are worthy of the time it takes to get there.

I have a friend that anytime she invites me to do something I’m immediately interested. One of those “ can you get here in 30 mins” I ask no questions, just check my footwear, punch in my GPS, and make my way there. She is such a versatile chick that really strives to grow, and learn. Basically my kind of babe. So on one such occasion she invited me to go to a Twerk Out. I heard, opportunity to shake my assets to great music with good company, and I was 100% on board.

Upon arriving to the event I learned that it was a fitness class, to live music spun by a live DJ and part of the Sneaker Week here in Portland. Trill Fit was bringing the heat through high energy workouts and rosegoldcopdx was showing up and showing out at the event as well. ( Check both of them out on Instagram, totally worth a look). I was instantly loving the hip hop beats and uplifting energy in the room. This booty was ready to shake!

My friend and I are both taller women, I am 5’11 and I am pretty sure she is around that as well. When we all lined up to get ready to start the work out, I instinctively started to move my way to the back. Tall people’s row. My friend looked at me and without even missing a beat she said “ Lets go front and center, then we can see!” Whoa there girl, something inside me was saying “ This is not your place. You will be in the way, other people can’t see” I hesitated and said “But aren’t us tall girls supposed to head to the back?” Her reply resounded in my body like a gong “ If they want to see they can move to a place they can see. No one is stopping them from making their way to the front.”

Shit…. It had never occurred to me that it was not my job to make everything smooth for people around me, especially people that never asked for my involvement in the first place. I was regularly taking myself out of prime viewing and experiencing space. Not today!

Woohoo that workout was something else. Calories burned, smile muscles exercised and my heart so fully alive in my own skin. I gave myself permission to be present in the room, to listen to my own personal growth and plant my happy ass 5’11 self in the front row, and damn did it feel good!

Takeaways from that night:

*I will not continue to treat myself as an afterthought, I am worthy of choosing the front row sometimes 🙂

*My height is not a problem. I have been subtly and more overtly reminded, often, that it is not customary for a woman to be my height. I have learned through interactions that it can be inconvenient for others if they need to see around me, or are trying to partner dance with me, the list continues. It started to be an apology I would preemptively utter, “sorry I am in the way, sorry I am tall, sorry______________ fill in the blank.” What I learned this day is that I had begun to embody the narratives that others around me were saying, without listening to myself. I am a woman that is 5’11, people notice me in rooms that I walk in, that does not make me a problem, nor should I shrink myself to make it comfortable for someone around me that is not willing to move to get the view they need. Other people can be incharge of their own experiences in life, I’m clocking out on that job description. 🙂

*It is best to go through life with those that help you feel safe but uncomfortable, that is when growth happens. That is where the magic lives. My friend is such a rare gem that just by her doing her around me, I am consistently growing. She’s  right there to make sure that I have space to process the things that come across my emotional world- in real time, in my time, she makes the time.  My mental, emotional, psychological, and physical muscles got a work out that day. And it sure felt good.

What narratives are others writing on your behalf that are not serving you?

Where can you show up for yourself in the front row of your life?

Who is in your front row fan club?

You got this babe.

 

Do you remember that game that was often an elementary school favorite; memory? The premise of the game is that you spread the cards out in rows and then flip a card over, study it for a minute and then intuitively hover your hands over the rest of the face down army of cards to see if you can find the match. Once you feel confident you flip and card to reveal what is underneath. The idea of the game is that over time you will learn the lay of the land; so you will remember when a card comes up that has a dolphin on it, it will be easy to find the glorious snouted fin toting being in the mix. As the game progresses the lines get smaller and the piles get counted to see who is best at matching and memorizing.

What does the game of memory have to do with loving the skin you are in… well my dear… it has Everything to do with it. How often do we look in the mirror at the card that we are, and wish more than anything that something was different? That we were more successful, prettier, smarter, less sleepy, had our shit just a little more together- after all many of our friends seem to be doing this thing called life really well. When this image came to me I realized that instead of looking for things that matched the animal that I am, I would have an interaction with someone and my chameleon would come out. It looked a little like this.

Insert internal monologue:

Gosh I love how career driven she is, I should be more like that. I feel so lost when it comes to business. I need to have her cut throat tenacity or else no one will take me seriously.

My chameleon body would now blink through the lense of owl eyes.

She is sexier than me, maybe if I show more of my body I will get attention like she does. Maybe if I was prettier someone would want to be with me, and this terrible game of dating in this day in time would be over.

My chameleon frame, with owl eyes now adorns herself with peacock feathers.

 They are much more enlightened than I am, I love how deeply they know the things of the spiritual world. I think people see me as a fraud when I speak about these things, I need to elevate my game.

My chameleon with owl eyes, peacock feathers face now elongates and morphs into a divine elephant trunk.

He is so adventurous, it is like he is always planning another trip. My life looks boring next to that.

My chameleon with owl eyes, peacock feathers, an elephants trunk now squeezes out a dolphin tale.

Exhausting! This process is exhausting. Before we know it we have become a creature that we do not even recognize and then are so hard on ourselves when we just cannot seem to keep it all together. Friends, it is really tough to be free in the ocean, when the trunk of our spirit is demanding air from land.  And for real, sometimes I do not want to wear a dolphin tale, I simply do not want that pressure. I cannot be my best self when I am trying to embody a hybrid version of everyone else, or be to others the way I feel they need to see me to say “its a match” in this complicated game called life.

I believe that growth is beautiful, and admiring the genius of someone we care about is critical,  but perhaps it is ok to let them shine in their glory, the way they were designed to be. And before we try on the life of another, lets get really sure about who we actually are. What are your core values? What standards do you run your life by? What do you need in your environment to operate at your best? What purpose are you adding this trait to your life, and is it congruent with how you want your life to be?

It also occurs to me that studying the card that we are makes it easier to find the things that authentically match up. For example, back to our table top card game; instead of getting overwhelmed with all the cards to flip and try out, what if we really looked at the one card in our hand and when we find something that is not a match, then phew! That is one less thing to try to find space for. A “no” on connection is just as important as a “yes“! Study the animal you are, and then you can recognize when those that are your style and speed cross your path.These are the ones that cause you to grow, and show up as your best self , you will easily recognize them as “a match”.

This lesson has been especially impactful to me lately. I am a deep feeling,  strong willed, extroverted empath that is highly sensitive and thrives in the creative. I love to do body work, travel, and cultivate deep conversations. I need space to recharge, but human contact gives me life. This world is many opposites blended together to make up who I am, and it has taken me a long time to realize that is ok. I am an intentional chameleon, my adaptable self is part of the magic that is me; and at the same time the lesson for me today is to decide what color I am showing and live in that for the moment, and not be swayed by the desire to conform to what others may want. This lesson has been especially challenging for me because for so long being what others wanted was how I kept myself safe.  Can you relate? Now I am doing the hard work to believe that my authentic self is what I need to be, and what others can benefit from as well. What animal are you? What do you love to show up as in the world, and what things do you feel you have to put on to make others happy? Are you in a job that suits you, or do you go to work every day trying to breath underwater without gills? Take a deep breath my dear, feel the seat under you, the surface your spine rests against, wiggle your toes; and realize that in this moment, changing nothing, you are already pretty badass.

This little piece describes my favorite outside the box way of healing, and learning to love the skin that I am in. If you have never heard of Zouk before, check out youtube, type in Brazilian Zouk dancing, and be prepared to enter a whole new world. (you’re welcome:) ( dancers Rick Torri and Larissa Secco)

Zouk, from the beginning has been the most beautifully chaotic process of shedding layers and taking on new, lighter presence and being. When I came to Zouk my heart was broken, my body was wounded and marred by trauma, I was terrified of the world around me. Like a flower bud closed in on itself, I had found a socially desirable way to live, and be so from the outside no one could see how much my heart was broken. From the very first class, I was hooked. My teacher looked more like me then the Barbie doll bodies I had seen in other dances, she had curly hair, stunning curves and she carried herself majestically; I was mesmerized by the way she moved when she danced and wanted to feel that confidence. She embodied everything I thought would be nice about being a woman.

This dance requires your whole body to be engaged to make it work, I quickly found the places in my body that were still unable to open. My chest was curled, my hips were closed, and my energy was in a place where I needed to conserve to survive. I was vigilant to detect a touch that may lead to something wrong or bad, and I kept my lead just close enough to dance, but not close enough for him to feel anything from me. In essence I was using him.  My teacher would encourage me to “be big” dance larger then myself, be free. These words had no context for my body. My whole life I had been told to not call attention to myself or bad things would happen.  I had been told that my body was a problem, and that I looked stupid when I danced. Now, this invitation to take up space, to grow and be open, to be seen… what did this mean?

I began to watch my body go through the growing pains of learning a new movement, head movement challenged my pre-existing views of my body’s abilities, and I watched it find ways to guard. But as I have healed, and had experiences with kind, patient leads, I can actively feel the flower petals open that make up my chest and shoulder. Breath is coming into those stuck places, and it feels so damn good! I listened to Bruno talk once about what it means to be connected to your partner, he invited us to think of that person as the most important person in the world for that 3 minutes, and I realized that in an effort to keep myself safe, I had neglected to give what I could to my partner. They may never know, but I would know. I needed to find a way to break that cycle of taking through touch, I wanted those that danced with me to know that they were seen and cared for, that what they brought to the dance was important and appreciated by me.

When I made that switch in my intention, I began to feel like I belonged in my Zouk community. I actually started to believe my friends when they said that I was beautiful, and that they were happy to have me there with them. I felt like Zouk was home for me, and I wanted to bring anyone I could to this place of unconditional acceptance. My teacher started calling me the “zouk ambassador” in PDX because I could not stop talking about this all consuming freedom I was experiencing.

I was letting go of some of the walls I had put up and then I realized now there was space to enjoy the music even more. I could celebrate how my body experienced the song, how sensuality was encouraged, and expression and passion had a safe outlet. This is who I am, this is what I want to bring to the world. I was never made to be small, or still; quiet or contained. My life was meant to boldly love.  Zouk love gives me a space to see and feel what other people are expressing without words. I also learned that I could actually send care intentionally through my arms and hands into the hands and body of my partner. I could infuse them with unconditional acceptance and see how it made their body respond. Where else can you do this? What better, or authentic way can we be the hands and heart of the One that put all this together?

Zouk to me is becoming who I was intended to be, created to live and love.  When I dance, I offer myself as a living sacrifice to the One that embodies all love and connection. I am grateful for who I am designed to be, and for the way that I feel deeply in this dance. Also, Zouk taught me about the quiet moments. The intentional stillness that had always been a source of anxiety for me before. Now there was context for it, space for it, breath for it. From the ends of my cascading curly hair to the tips of my toes and in between, Zouk has changed my life.

 

Weightless, but secure, drawing up power from the floor through feet and friction, somehow settling in this warm glow deep in my belly. Connection, hips sway, breath turns her hear, close embrace; and the beat drops. Breathing begins to flow to a beat of song, at times being summoned for power and other times being let loose to flow and soften. Feminine strength, masculine softenss, zouk shatters cultural norms and demands honor of the beings present in the dance. Sojourning souls intentionally decide to join to make I, you and also we. Shattering my need to safety, I dive into the waters of connection, and feel the power of the breeze as I glide through time and space. Weightless but secure. My hair wild, my smile wide, my eyes closed I relish in this moment of being chosen, being held, being released only to be swirled back into another embrace in the height of a punctuated beat in the symphony of sound. Not alone. I catch my breath as my heart and chest are lead to open through the hands of a sensitive lead, and then like puppet strings made to rise and fall like the heart had escaped my chest. Catapulting past clumsiness, searing through stability the dance demands that all parts of me are ready to be included in the movement. Off balance trusting, delightful swirling, downbeats that make my body roar. I am alive in this movement. When I am here I am not my shortcomings, I am only my present self. The feeling of delight that sends a palpable surge of joy through my body when the lead smiles back, eyes twinkling. He felt it too. This fairytale is actually happening in this moment. The fragrance of feeling invites me in like the smell of fresh coffee or cookies. It smells like home. Perspiration slides down my skin, reminding me that the spirit is connecting with the body, and that is why this is so holy, sacred and set apart. Connection, vulnerability, unbridled adventure. Not slave to a beat, step or expectation, I can rise. The yoke is light. In this dance the divine is invited, current troubles are cast aside if only for a song. I get to rest my anxiety and pour out my creativity. In this dance I find my Eden.

Picture this scenario- a friend, coworker, fellow human comes to you and says “I need to borrow $1,000, it is something really important to me, will you give it to me?” What is your initial reaction to this? Umm what? What do you need it for? Hell no? I wish I could? Guilt that you cannot? Wondering how to pay your own life’s stuff without the $1000 in the bank? Money and currency brings up a mixed bag of emotions for most of us. But for requests like this we can objectively look at our bank account and say for starters, yes I have the dough, or no, I’m already pretty financially tight.

Now picture you are speaking to that same human after looking at your funds and you say “sorry bud, I just do not have it to give.” How often would that person look at you and demand that you find a way to come up with the money? ( I mean in the real world not a suspense thriller movie starring Liam Neeson) It just doesn’t happen. People seem to get that if you cannot afford something, then they cannot ask it of you.

So now, transform yourself to a fellow human that needs 6 hours of time on Saturday requesting you to help with childcare of her 4 energetic kiddos, or the man that needs to be moved out of his apartment to a new place for the 3rd time this year, or the boss that wonders if you can pick up the slack on a project for a fellow co-worker even when you are substantially drowning in your own work. Perhaps it is that friend who’s name when it comes up on your caller ID you know they need at least 2 hours of time to vent to you about the latest personal struggle unfolding. Or maybe it is to go to a concert, out dancing at a busy club, something fun, but you are run down after the week you have lived. We can fill in the blanks of the requests given, but what about how we react to those?

May I offer the suggestion to see our energy as currency, energy tokens if you will. When I was recovering from an injury to my brain I would feel as if I was waking up everyday with a cloth drawstring bag of energy tokens on my mattress next to me. I had no idea how many would show up, but there was no roll over tokens from the day before, and no telling what my budget would be for the day. I quickly realized that if I wanted to do something specific that day, then something else was not going to happen. Often that something required me to look into the face of people I loved, or wanted to help and tell them I simply couldn’t participate in their request. Why does this act of saying no, instill guilt or regret and not a level of matter o factness that I simply do not have energy tokens to budget for this? If you can relate to this feeling you are not alone.

I began to see my bag of tokens as a gift to invest, I would look in my bag and see ways that I could utilize my energy tokens on people, events, projects and resting, things that felt nourishing to me. In a word, I began to take control of my emotional bank account and damn it felt good! My best supporters would ask me during that time “if you have enough tokens on Saturday we are going to a movie and would love for you to come”! So wonderful! I quickly learned the people that saw my energy as a resource for them to utilize, and the people that knew it belonged to me to spend as I desired. In this headspace I began to show up more fully for things, spread myself a little less thin, and say my best yes, and at times a needed no. I became my own emotional accountant and began to spend in a life that I wanted. So if you are feeling energetically pick pocketed, spread too thin, afraid to say no to those in your immediate circle, I invite you to try on the coin analogy for a week or so, and see where your coins are being spent.Your energetic leprechauns will leap for joy at the pot of gold you can create for yourself, really, truly it is possible 🙂

To dive into new and more exciting parts of the pool, step one is to get the right gear. Gliding to new depths will not happen in jeans, shoes and shirt, I need to shed layers to get to the places that I have only seen from the poolside. In this unveiling process, I realize just as I generally do around swimsuit season, that my body looks different to me when I am dressed in clothes that a choose for flattery over function. A bathing suit shows all my curves, jucy unseen places in my ribs, back, legs and chest. In this world I cannot help but know that my skin is seen. I am not hiding in this place, and damn it feels good!.  I feel as if I have gone to depths before, gasped for air and floundered around in my clothes meant for coffee dates not pool parties- someone else’s slide of a hand and over stretched compass of right and wrong plunged my unconsenting soul into parts of the pool that i was never ready for; they chose for me that deep was my only option, and I found myself suspended with water of life all around me. This is one kind of deep, I have muscles and mindsets for this space- but what if there is an entirely different way to view the pool? What if is is a choice to leave layers of old mindsets, patterns, muscle tension, careers that just barely pay the bills- the world of known, for the world of possibilities? This rumpled pile of layers of “I know this, but shit I am over this” adorns my pool deck chair. To get into the pool I need to leave them unattended- and that feels like the scariest part.  What keeps you from trying on that new “bathing suit”? What are you afraid you will see, or experience? What if it is ok to buy one that fits now, for who you are in your bravery to try a next step- and then when it stops fitting to be ready to shop again??!! We do not have to settle into one way because we bought the gear- our bodies, minds, hearts, needs and experiences continue to evolve- perhaps the last thing to get on board is our will because that is where emotion comes in. That is the terrifying reality that we want something and that it is up to us to strive to get it; a healthy dose of fear and faith, with a dash of daydreaming and wide eyed wonder about what could be just over this first hurdle of uncertainty. I feel the snap of spandex and I gaze with a new found joy into the metaphorical mirror- I was brave enough to put on the suit and stare with open eyes into the future. The first step to going deeper in the pool is to first get the right gear. Part of my ensamble will be a swimming coach, someone that knows that waters more than I do, and can help me workout the muscles of choice, decisiveness, risk taking, clarity gaining- and then best part of all is she chooses to be in the pool next to me! This is an entirely different way to interact with the water, and goggles on, new suit in hand, wobbly knees and a light in my belly that cannot help but glimmer; the reality of my new reality is beginning to sink in ( no pun intended). Sink or swim, I am ready to be an active participant in the pool of my world- I am ready to explore the deep.

Welcome <3, thanks for spending time with me. This blog is meant to be a space to discuss the every day things that I notice as I learn to love the skin that I am in. Part of that process for me is letting go of perfectionism and learning to be seen just as I am in this moment; therefore please be gentle with my type-o’s or tangents 🙂 I come from a trauma informed through my journey and study, psychology nerd, mover/shaker, travel addict, puppy loving world view. I study massage therapy, Brazilian Zouk dancing, teach and learn from my adopted 4 legged baby (who will show up often in the pages of this blog, he is way too cute not to share).

This space is also a place where you may find things that resonate with you (yay!), or things that seem like I am on a different planet (also yay!), feel free take anything with you that feels right for the time and chew on it, and leave the rest behind. All the while, my hope is that you will also be on an intentional journey to find what makes you an individual; special, shaped by and through your experiences, and celebrate that! Perhaps in this time we spend together through screens across the miles, moments of synchronicity, and resounding “gosh that feels like me” moments can happen. That is the good stuff.

Cheers to what’s to come,

Megan Grace

“Resilience is born by grounding yourself in your own loveliness, hitting notes you thought were way out of your range.”
― Gregory Boyle, Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion