M and I go way back.. She is one of the few people that I see on a regular basis who I actually knew before I moved to Connecticut.
We went to the same college. Actually, M was my RAs roommate my freshman year and I thought she was so cool. While I was figuring out what college kids wear and how to act and where my classes were, M already had the whole college thing mastered. And bonus: when most of the people in her class were ignoring the freshmen, she actually said hi when she saw me.
Fast forward a few months and I found out she was dating someone who was basically a legend within my major. He was passing Actuarial Exams left and right while still in school and also somehow managed to have a life. All of the aspiring actuaries looked up to him. Oddly enough, he was also Asher's RA.
These lovebirds ended up getting married and moving to Connecticut a little before Asher and I did. I still remember being a little star struck the first time they invited us to hang out. Since then, we've celebrated holidays together, become a family away from home, and even lived within walking distance for a few years.
They were quite the power couple back in college and they still are today. Every time you talk to them, they have a project they are working on or some new and exciting endeavor. They are both planners and let me tell you, they get things done! It's been really fun to watch them build the family that M talks about below.
In my book, she is still super cool.. but you can judge for yourself.. here is M!
1. Name: M
2. Hometown: Spring Grove, PA
3. Current town: Canton, CT
4. Favorite song? "Living" by Dierks Bentley
5. Favorite book? No all time favorites, but I'm currently listening to "Think Like a Monk" by Jay Shetty
6. Favorite recipe? When I've got all day, my grandma's homemade crescent rolls
7. What does resilience mean to you? Resilience to me means doing when it is much easier not to. It's grit. It's taking the next step when it feels like a mile, but taking it anyway. It's making choices for future-you, despite the challenges of the past and present. Resilience is continuing to show up.
8. Describe a time when you were so happy you felt like singing out loud: When my kids were born - there's so much hope, faith, and love in those fresh newborn moments.
9. Share a story about something you regret or the hardest thing you've even had to go through: After becoming a mom of two, I struggled to take time for myself (an all too common story.) I went far too long without asking for help or making a change. I wish I realized earlier that my kids didn't need all or nothing from me - they don't expect perfection, just presence. It's a work in progress, but I'm now consistently seeking balance and grace.
10. What do you do to get through the hard times? I love long chats with close friends and the freedom to feel and be supported in my feelings. I'm very much a verbal processor, so I've got to let it all out before I can make a shift and press on.
11. What is one thing you can't live without? Dessert
12. Describe what you are going through now in one word, and then explain: Revival.
Staying home with young kids has proven to be one of the best, hardest, messiest, transformative seasons of my life. Everyone tells you it will be, but it's hard to understand until you're in it. Pre-kids, I loved to travel, exercise, date my husband, actually relax on vacation... Then came the survival mode of the baby years. Then came 2020. Now, I am consciously working on enjoying the moments and thriving in the chaos of the toddler and preschool years - while my kids still think I'm the coolest. I'm also working on reviving some pieces of my "old life" that have been sorely missed. Every day gets better with the right perspective.
13. What is the one thing that you are most proud of? I'm proud of the life my husband and I have built. We moved away from family right after college, and through the seasons we've been in, it has challenged us to become independent and resourceful. We've met some amazing people along the way and have built our community from the ground up. I'm so grateful for our friends who choose to do life with us.
14. If you were to offer one piece of advice to other women, what would it be? "The world needs who you were made to be" - Joanna Gaines recently wrote a children's book about this, but I couldn't love the sentiment more. We're all weird, especially in the rollercoaster of our world today. Surround yourself with people who love you dearly for who you are.
15. If you got to be Oprah for a day and give everyone one product, what would you choose? An exercise bike - I'm totally embracing that movement and loving every bit of it in
Be sure to show her some love in the comments!
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Denise (Thursday, 18 February 2021 18:59)
I can relate to verbal processing. I love that you know and embrace it about yourself. I had to laugh at knowing vs. truly understanding what you're in with young kids. It's an awakening no matter how much you think you're prepared, but it's a wild ride that will continue in different form as you go.
P.S. I can see why you're considered the "cool kid".