High School Reunions... oh the pressure

It is that time again.  I just received word that my class is holding another high school reunion.  This year I have been out of high school for 35 years.  Where has the time gone?

For those of you that want to do the math, I will save you the trouble.  I  just celebrated my 53th birthday.  As I see it, 

age is just a number.  I feel better when I own it.  

I have earned every one of those wrinkles and grey hairs.  

Well, they are grey until Madison works her magic!

Tell me ladies, do you have anxiety thinking about going back to a high school reunion?  Do you feel the need to creash diet or feel the pressure to wear the right dress?  Why do we do this to ourselves? 

I wonder if you think this pressure eazes over time.  As I think back to my ten year reunion, I remember wanting to make a good impression. Let's be honest, by that, I mean how I looked!  This was the first time I was going to see many of my friends since high school.  

I don't really think much changed when I went to my 25th reunion.  By then of course I wanted everyone to think I had really kept myself together. Have you ever hear of the song "You're so Vain?" Ouch!!!  Being introspective hurts!

Well, now 35 years later, I think I am finally getting it.  Don't get me wrong.  I like looking nice and dresing nice, but I do it for me and not for others.  I dont' wear makeup on a daily basis and that is ok!  In fact, I had to buy make up to wear to Dalton's wedding. I did want to look nice for the pictures and not washed out!  I haven't put on make up since the wedding.  

It has taken me a long time to get here.  It hasn't been easy.  There is so much pressure in society.  We have to do what makes us comfortable.  I only wish that as women we could feel comfortable just being us.

What do you think?  Leave me a comment and share your thoughts.  I would love to hear from you. I am off to work.  I wear many hats these days. Today, I am off to work for the North County Indians Baseball Club.  Go Indians!  It is fabulous... afterall...

I am More Than a Mother!

Until next time.

Cindy  

 

Handcrafted Greeting Cards

As you may have read in my latest post, I am now a designer for Paper Crafting World and will be designing and creating handcrafted greeting cards for this amazing company.  I am so excited to be a part of this talented group of ladies.  My daughter Madison has been a fabulous teacher and inspiration to me for the past four years and with her love, support,  and encouragement, I feel that I have what it takes to spread my wings and give it a go.

Trust me when I say these were never words I thought I would ever say.  I did not believe I had one crafty or artistic bone in my body.  But when you dig deep and allow yourself to explore your hidden talents you may be surprised at what you can accomplish!

Take a look at several of the cards that I have made in the past few weeks.  I will be growing as a designer as time moves on.  For now I am pleased that I can post my work and share with you without being embarrassed.  After all, I am stepping out of my daughter's shadow and that is one BIG shadow! 

This is a birthday card for a 13 year old girl who works for the North County Indians and also is an amazing golfer!

I made this card for my nephew A.J.'s birthday.  The digi stamp is from  Papercraftingworld.

When my physical therapist's aide left for Georgia, I made her this card.  She was such a sweetie.

Look for cards starting in July every other Thursday, if not more frequently.  I am really very excited about this new adventure.

After all, I am more than a mother!

Until next time,

Cindy

People say I'm really awesome at...

Hello everyone!  As you know, each week Angelica from AngSuarez Creative will be sending a prompt to challenge those of us who are interested in self exploration.  We are taking a look at who we are as women and the role we play in fostering our own growth and often times hindering it by beating ourselves up with negative talk, etc.  The program is called Summer of Enough.  

Before I get started with this week's prompt, let me first congratulate my son, Dalton, and his new wife, Sami, who were married this past Saturday during a beautiful ceremony on the beach in Florida.  It rained down blessings from above and we couldn't have been any happier.  It was one of those days when you check your vanity at the door.  As the rain came down so did the hair and the chance of looking your best in the wedding pictures!  

 

Oh well, all that mattered was that we were there witnessing a beautiful moment in Dalton and Sami's lives and if we looked a messed, well it just didn't matter. 

This week for the Summer of Enough program we were given an interesting prompt.  We were asked to journal on how others view us rather than on how we view ourselves.  I asked several of my relatives that I trust to answer this question- people say I am really awesome at... well read on to see what I discovered and for those of you that know me, see if you agree.

Prompt #2:  People say I'm really awesome at... being a great mom, communicating effectively and bringing an optimistic attitude to situations.  As I said in my last post, it is very difficult to write about myself because I tend to serve in silence.  Speaking about what I am "awesome at" is no different.  The last thing I would want is to sound boastful.  Having said that, I must say that I was not too surprised to learn that the things that others thought I was good at would be the same things I would have said about myself.

I have raised three fabulous children that I love with all my heart and I am awesome at being a mom. We have had our ups and downs like anyone else, but I know in my heart that I took the time to show and tell each of my kids that I love them.  They are still my children even though they are now young adults and I will always be there to guide them and support them in any way that they need.

I was told I am an effective communicator.  I think that is because I take the time to stop and listen to what people are saying to me.  If you really care and hear what is being said, you are better able to respond.  I also wait until I have the person's attention that I am speaking to before I speak.  No need getting angry with someone if you know they weren't weren't even listening to begin with.

Finally, I was told that I am typically optimistic.  I would tend to agree.  As a Christian, I tend not to sweat the small stuff. There is no room for fear or worry in my life.  God is in control.

Just to let you know, I had to hit the delete button about ten times as I posted this.  It wasn't easy writing "awesome" things.  Don't get me wrong.  I think I'm fabulous!  I just don't like saying that on a post because it sounds boastful.  This is really an amazing experience.  You might want to try it.  If you do start a blog, or are participating in this program, let me know.  Drop me an email so we can share our experiences. 

I look forward to exploring my past, present, and future.  After all, I am more than a mother!

Until next time! 

Cindy

My biggest achievement so far...

Good morning everyone!  Each week Angelica from AngSuarez Creative will be sending a prompt to challenge those of us who are interested in self exploration.  We are taking a look at who we are as women and the role we play in fostering our own growth and often times hindering it by beating ourselves up with negative talk, etc.  The program is called Summer of Enough.  This journey will mean becoming vulnerable for me as I decided to post my answers on my blog as a way to encourage other women to get real.  This doesn't mean I expect anyone else to blog their answers, but rather just be willing to be honest with themselves.

I have no idea what is to come, but I am feeling led to do this.  So, thank yo for being here with me.  God Bless you all and here I go. 

Prompt #1:  My Biggest Achievement so far in life-  For me there is no doubt that I view raising my children as my biggest achievement.  As of last week, they are now all high school graduates and with the love, support, and guidance I have given them for the past 18 plus years, I am confident that they have what it takes to be strong, independent adults capable of living on their own.

Don't get me wrong, I made many mistakes along the way, what parent doesn't?  But through thick and thin we loved each other as a family and always worked through all our difficult times.  

It is difficult talk about "my accomplishments" because I don't often view what I do as accomplishing, but rather as serving.  As a Christian I tend to serve in silence and not be boastful so this will be interesting to see how difficult it is for me to share.

I look forward to exploring my past, present, and future.  After all, I am more than a mother!

Until next time! 

Cindy

Getting Started

Hi and welcome to my first blog post at "I am More Than a Mother." Today I want to share a little bit about myself before I get started.  My name is Cindy and I have been married to my husband Larry for 23 years. We have three children; Dalton, 21; Aaron, 20; and Madison, 18.  For the past 21 plus years I have devoted my life to raising my kids. I wouldn't  trade a minute of my past. I loved each and every memory I created with my kids. I am one of those women who was born to be a mom. 

Madison graduated from high school this past week and my days of raising school aged children has come to an end.  Having said that, it is now time for me to explore all the fabulous opportunities that I didn't have time for when my children were younger.  I know that I am more than a mother and I can't wait to see how the next part of my life unfolds.

I started this blog for several reasons. I have always wanted to blog, but I felt the extra push when I read a blog post from Angelica at AngSuarez Creative.  She is kicking off a new blog and summer project called Summer of Enough.  If you are interested in learning more about this project and participating click on the link above or click HERE.  I will be blogging about my thoughts and feelings regarding this program as the summer moves along.

Thank you for joining me.  Feel free to share my blog with your friends.  

Cindy