First Layers…An Introduction

First things first, I am so happy you’re here! And I’m also SO freaking uncomfortable right now! Talking about myself with “who even knows who is reading this” is extremely out of my comfort zone. But also, if you read my first post, absolutely crucial to meeting the goal of this whole site, which is to have any viewer leave this website with a sense of what I do and who is behind it. So (deep breath) here goes…

I could introduce myself by saying who I am to others: a wife, a mom, a friend, a sister, a daughter, an aunt…etc. but it would probably be best to let that from those who are experiencing me from each of their own vantage points. And lets face it…if this goes well, all of those roles, and the people they affect, will show up at some point in future posts. A harder explanation is who I am to ME. Who do I think I am. Oof. Have you ever tried to answer that question? It sounds so easy. But with no real starting place, it’s more difficult than one might think.

I am…

I am much more comfortable being in the background. I am messy, yet love organization. I love projects and am really great at getting them off the ground and running with them… until they are 80% finished and then I am ready to start something new. I have 3 grown children that I adore. They are my life’s greatest teachers. They are funny, smart, kind and … and I would much rather make this post about them! I love home decor, thrifting and giving new life to anything old. I had a real problem with perfectionism for a long time. Control was my coping method. I think I have gotten much better, but you’d have to ask the people that are closest to me to see how true that is. I love a paper calendars and lists. I hate technology. I love technology. I have a fear of what technology could do in our near future. I love 80’s music, especially new wave. Depeche Mode & Duran Duran were my everything in high school. But I also love classical & jazz piano music. I love to kayak. My favorite thing to wear are overalls of any kind. I could eat Handel’s ice cream every day. I talk a lot when I’m nervous/anxious. I used to wear hats. And then inexplicably went for years not wearing them. Las summer, I rediscovered them. Sometimes when I’m painting, words come to me and I turn them into poetry. I love to read…fiction, non fiction, biographies. Bring on the books! I am most peaceful when around any body of water. I love children…I think we adults have as much to learn from them as they do from us. In fact, I love all things multi-generational. We are all students and teachers. I love palm trees and mountains. I recently took up yoga and have fallen hard for the way it makes me feel. I’ve never thought of myself as sensitive, but the older I get, I see that for some reason, it’s something I didn’t want to admit to being. I’m an Enneagram 5, which means I’m introverted and I can’t buy a simple pen online without reading every.single.review. I enjoy my own company. And while my alone time is sacred and necessary, I’m also lucky enough to have certain people in my life that bring me so much energy that I’d get dressed at 8:00 on a winter’s night to go see them. Which brings me to my despise of the winter months. I am a summer girl through and through. Sunshine on my skin is like a balm. Someday, I hope to enjoy sunshine year round. I journal almost every morning. I was introduced recently to meditation. I love to learn. Sometimes I feel like I take up too much space. I love dark chocolate. Reeses are my kryptonite. I always wanted to be an artist. I’m scared of heights, but swear this summer I’m going to ride the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier. I’m realizing I don’t know how to end this list…

So. How does one sum up themselves in a few paragraphs? You don’t. You can’t. You can really only scratch the surface, because really getting to know someone takes time. So I really hope you’ll come back and keep reading so we can continue to peel the onion together.