Here's the thing...

Has it really been 3 months since my last blog post?! Here's the thing...

As with the rest of the world, the past 365 days has changed me. All of the "little" things have truly become the BIG things in my life. Time has turned into an abstract concept made up of present moments. The true meaning of perspective has been magnified 10-fold, and self-care moved from the bottom of my list to the top. Yup, the top! Even as a mother of 2 busy boys at home.

I find my sense of motivation has shifted in profound ways. I am motivated by long walks in nature. I am motivated by an uninterrupted (homemade) coffee every morning. I am motivated by a daily practice of gratitude. I am motivated by random acts of kindness; both given and received. I am motivated by witnessing my kids' milestones up close. I am motivated by a sunny day, and equally by a snowy blizzard. I am motivated by a full moon and starry night. I am motivated by all these things that feel so obvious to me now. It feels good. Really good.

With all this newfound motivation, I find myself re-energized in my self-publishing journey. I wasn't able to launch Tate's BIG Birthday the way I intended, (sigh covid), but my heart is filled with so much gratitude thinking about all the people who still purchased a copy and rallied around little ole self-published me. Seeing all the feedback and knowing that I'm providing an escape into curious imaginations, brings me joy beyond measure. In the end, that's the biggest reason I started my writing journey...and it's just begun!

I'm so excited to share little bits of Tate's next adventure, as book #2 in the series is currently in the sketch phase. Hint: It will have all of your senses light up with bright visuals, yummy taste buds, diverse smells, rhyming sounds, and as always, a curious escape into your imagination. Stay tuned!

Here's another thing...I'm starting this year with a sense of openness. I'm a writer, so I naturally gave myself a word for 2021: OPEN. Perhaps this is my subconscious manifesting that the world re-open again, but what I do know for sure is that I am...

• Open to life's natural flow.

• Open to all the gifts, challenges and lessons that come my way.

• Open to new friendships and deeper connections.

• Open with my heart and mind.

• Open to honest conversations with less judgement and fear.

• Open to helping others and spreading kindness.

In this moment, this is where I'm at. It's not all rainbows and unicorns, (stay at-home moms know this all too well), but it's pretty darn magical when you pay close enough attention. I'll leave you with a quote from @paperplanesundays (on instagram):

"I want to live under an optimistic sky,

where I'm not scared to fall,

and have the courage to fly."

Give yourself permission to spread those wings, and as always, happy reading!