Spent the morning driving through the foothills of the Adirondacks yesterday. Because I needed some …. mountain time I guess. Maverick was at preschool and Ace, my little wingman was dreaming away in the back seat. I had Maren Morris filling my ears with her melty gritty sound, and the windows cracked for that ADK air in our lungs. My mind was 35 filing cabinets with every folder open and the wind was blowing all my papers, plans, dreams, to-do’s and appointments all about the place.

So I had to take a drive to escape from everything I could, if only for an hour. Life has been BUSY. A constant state of overwhelm. March is such a bittersweet month because it’s the month my mother celebrated her birthday in, where I celebrate mine, and where I fight time the hardest trying to make my oldest born stop growing up so damn fast! But then all at once it hits me like a breath after swimming under water, and I feel calm. Because life is happening exactly as it should. And in the midst of all the busy, late nights, party planning, baby appointments, kindergarten everything, working, time away from my man, and all of that, I remembered a favorite quote of mine. Yesterday morning Dan and I didn’t say see ya sweet tits! Have a great day soul mate! I love you so much I can’t live without you! Can’t wait to see you! (Which is usually most days, all true for us) We actually left the house around the same time and words and actions weren’t very friendly or very married-like to say the least. So I drove. To get to him. Because I know that when people are the most difficult to love, that’s when you have to lay the loving on. You actually just need to go OFF on the love game. I’m talking favorite sandwiches, loves notes, bear hugs, corny jokes. All that. I know from experience because I was pretty difficult to love once, and from time to time I’m sure I get that way – AS WE ALL DO. So for me, I’m just tryna keep it real in a world full of people chasing the next popular thing. Doing something because it’s easy or cool. I just wanna say, every day I put in 100% and I can confidently say that so does my husband. His 100 is FAR and away different than MY 100, but we are both putting it in. From the minute we open our eyes until our heads hit the pillow at night. We are IN IT. So yeah, I drove off for me for him for us, and I let him know how good he is. And let him know how well he is loved. In a hollow little upstairs apartment being renovated in a small town in the ADKS. I hugged him, reminded him how important he is and how great he is doing in life as a dad and a husband. I love this guy with my entire being. I have for almost a decade now, and he means more to me, and I trust him more than anyone, and he makes me so happy. And in the hard times I still remember it because his light shines that bright.

I haven’t shared this photo with anyone because it’s a pretty personal moment, but it’s real and it’s raw and it’s what happens off the highlight reel. It’s what sheer thankfulness, relief and a full heart of gratitude look like, to me in a picture. And in this intimate setting of the few people who spend the time to read my words, I feel safe sharing with you 😌

So here’s your friendly reminder that life is overwhelming. And it’s a challenge. And if you don’t put in the love and the effort and the grit, you will never make it. Anywhere. Not at work not at home not as a parent and not as a spouse. We are all in this together. And we are all struggling through every day. To be the best mom/dad/entrepreneur/homemaker/breadwinner/human in society. So let’s just all take this in, and put out some actual goodness today. And wherever you go, be it your kitchen to make dinner, a meeting at work, or a gym to get your workout on; melt into that room like sunshine, cut yourself some slack. keep that grit about you, and pour your freaking love out. Because the world needs more of it and we need it now ☀️💖👑