There is nothing like the covering of a mother over her child. And it didn’t matter that I was turning 40 in a couple months. There is just something about knowing your mother is here. Someone is thinking about you. Someone is concerned about you in a way that only a mother can be. It’s a kind of protection you don’t necessarily think about while you have it. I know I didn’t. But that covering was gone, and I was feeling it.

I felt cold. Exposed. Unprotected. A part of that feeling came from the realization that now both of my parents were gone. I kind of felt like an orphan. I know I wasn’t an orphan. I was a grown woman with a family of my own. But emotionally, that’s exactly how I felt.

Some mornings start off slower than others, especially when I know I have a full day ahead of me. And honestly, I like to start off slow.

I like getting up before everyone else wakes up. Before the phone starts ringing, before the emails start coming in, and before anybody needs anything from me. That little bit of quiet time in the morning is something I really enjoy. This something I had to really be intentional about.

On mornings like this, my go-to tea is Stabili-Tea

This isn’t a series about having all the answers. It’s about sharing my story—the good, the hard, and everything in between. My prayer is that somewhere in these chapters you’ll recognize a piece of your own story too. Because if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s this...

Healing isn’t something we arrive at. It’s something we choose, over and over again.

Have you ever felt like you were always chasing something?

For me, I was constantly chasing the feeling that came with starting something new; a new job, a

new opportunity, a new goal. Every new beginning brought excitement. I felt motivated,

inspired, and hopeful.

But eventually, the newness wore off.