My name is Holly and I’m a new mom and a stepmom; one who is a little late to the party.
I left work when my baby was born 6 months ago and I’m going back to school for a master’s in the fall. I’m not working for the first time in many, many years. So why did I start a blog?
At first I thought I had nothing interesting to write about; nothing anyone would care about. Then I read an article that suggested literally everyone has something interesting to say. We all have a unique story to tell. Even though most of us realize this on an intellectual level, feeling that way is a different thing altogether. Knowing something and feeling it are two very different things.
I now see that there is a secret to getting what you want; it’s just believing you can have it. Henry Ford has a famous quote, “Whether you think you can or you can’t, either way you’re right.” Such a simple concept yet so many of us don’t know how to “believe” something we don’t feel we deserve. As a woman, I know we have a tendency to feel shame and guilt… should I have children? A career? Bring home the bacon and fry it up in a pan? Seems like people tell us we’re supposed to “have it all”… but what if we don’t want to? Men also experience intense societal pressures with expectations they feel obligated to fulfill. Essentially, everyone has feelings about what they should be doing and if they are enough. Even the most successful of us are often not fulfilled by the external trappings of wealth and materialism. I’m in the midst of exploring lots of areas of interest and I want to raise awareness of – me. Ha. Actually, I like the idea of bringing this topic of ongoing transformation to the forefront because its been a key factor in my happiness over the years. Hopefully it will strike a chord with you as well.
I’m 43 years old as of this initial writing. I have an amazing 6 month old little girl and am engaged to a wonderful man who is the father of a beautiful 10 year old. That all seemed totally out of reach a few years ago. I am so grateful every day for the incredible gifts I have and the ones that keep coming. Until about 5 years ago I never thought I would have, nor did I want, children. When I hit 38, I started to imagine having a child. My relationships up to that point had ended within a few months to a max of about 2 years. And then I met my soon-to-be husband on an internet dating website a couple years ago. I became a stepmom almost immediately and two and half years later, we have a daughter. I gave birth shortly after turning 43. How amazing! It’s just as wonderful as I thought it would be. I still can’t believe it whenever I use the phrase “my daughter”.
I was working in the field of human services for over 20 years until leaving my job in the summer of 2016 to have my baby. I am so fortunate to have sold my house in Denver and made enough to stay home with the baby for a couple years and get a master’s degree. [Thank you, legal marijuana, for drawing all these new people to the state and driving up property values! Yes, cannabis – you have made this possible.] This is one of the best times of my life.
My goal is to cover a variety of topics in this blog from self-discovery and personal development, hobbies and interests, to social issues. I want the content to be thought-provoking and entertaining. It is not my intention to takes sides in political arguments, but rather to entertain multiple points of view and provide a forum for people to speak openly about their beliefs and passions. That said, this is a place for civil discourse and not rantings.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!