Resilience Story: Meet Lisa

1. Name: Lisa 

2. Hometown: Smithfield, RI

3. Current town: Avon, CT

4. Favorite song? Oh my goodness of all time, that's so hard. Probably "Everybody" by the Backstreet Boys. I am a proud, obsessive long time fan. 

5. Favorite book? The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

6. Favorite recipe? My homemade sauce (gravy if you're really Italian) and meatballs 

7. What does resilience mean to you? To me, resilience means the ability to dig deep and keep moving forward when the going gets tough. It means finding the positive in even the toughest of circumstances and not letting a temporarily tough situation change your outlook on life. 

8. Describe a time when you were so happy you felt like singing out loud: Not to sound too cliché, but I'd definitely say my wedding day! I can't say that there is another day in my life filled with happier memories. 

9. Share a story about something you regret or the hardest thing you've even had to go through: The hardest thing I've had to go through was getting pregnant with my son. It was a multiple year long process, filled with lots of disappointment, doctors appointments, medication, and bloodwork. I think it was particularly hard because before I was going through it, I didn't know how prevalent infertility was. Since successfully using IVF to get pregnant (yay science!), I feel really strongly about talking openly about women's fertility. The community support, and knowing other women who have gone through the same thing, is so comforting. 

10. What do you do to get through the hard times? I totally lean on the support of my husband, friends and family. I am an oral processor for sure, so talking about things when they are hard really helps me to feel better. And - exercise! Nothing makes me feel better than a good sweat. 

11. What is one thing you can't live without? I can't choose one - it's wine and chocolate, they're a dead tie 

12. Describe what you are going through now in one word, and then explain: Balance. As a new working mom, I'm really struggling with figuring out the balance of my new day to day life. There is the constant struggle of being pulled in a million different directions - exercise, cook dinner, play with your child, do work, get things done, relax, keep in touch with people - and just not enough hours in the day to get it all done. I'm always working through what should be a priority and then not feeling guilty about letting the other things go. It's a work in progress for sure, and I'm not sure I'll ever really figure it out. 

13. What is the one thing that you are most proud of? I'm most proud of the feedback I've received from families of my students over the years about how I've helped their children love school, or learn to love reading, or just feel comfortable in their own skin. As a teacher, it's easy to lose sight of the impact you make on kids in the day to day bustle of teaching, and it always warms my heart to know that my classroom can be a place of comfort for them. 

14. If you were to offer one piece of advice to other women, what would it be? Only cultivate and put effort into the relationships in life that bring you joy. Life is too short for relationships that bring you down. Cut them out and don't feel guilty about it!

15. If you got to be Oprah for a day and give everyone one product, what would you choose? A peloton bike - it's become my escape from the stresses of life and the community is so uplifting, and I'd love for others to experience that as well!