A Bit About My Mom and Dad

I came to Starbucks today (aka my office) to write something entirely different. But two very meaningful posts I wrote on other sites went live today, and it just felt like I should take the time to reflect on them here. In my blogging home.

The first is a piece I wrote about my mom. You see, the Babble team reached out to bloggers across their network (including Disney Baby) to ask if we’d like to be part of a Sheryl Sandberg partnership they’re running to honor mothers who have “Leaned In”. As I was trying to write a post about my mom to fit the mold, I realized what I love about her is that she doesn’t fit the mold. Not because she didn’t work. She did amazing work with kids who needed extra help (resource, special needs, etc) in elementary school. Not because she didn’t sacrifice to ensure that I’d have every opportunity to forge my own career. Sending me to college and affording me every opportunity possible was no small task, though she never made it seem that way.

No, what I love about my mom is that her faith and strength are quiet, inspiring, and unwavering. And it seems I’m not the only one who feels that way. I’m so touched by the comments, likes, and shares I’m seeing on Facebook and Disney Baby.

Here’s the post that explains why my mom has taught me far more about being a strong woman far more than any corporate executive. (So maybe I won’t be highlighted on Babble or the Lean In site…)

A STRONG WOMAN, A POWERFUL MOTHER

My other post today is on Project: Underblog. As you may recall, this is a collaborative site I’ve been a part of since my friend Christina threw out the idea at BlogHer last year. While it launched in October, it’s really picking up steam now, and I’m so proud to be a part of the project. The site celebrates meaningful words, not impressive numbers. You see, in the blogging world, a lot of people are concerned with pageviews, Twitter followers, Facebook fans, and Klout scores. Those numbers help decide if you get featured on big sites, invited to events, or considered a “big deal”. But the truth is, some of the best writing out there is undiscovered by the masses. Project: Underblog shines a light on the small and mighty voices on the web. I realize I’m biased, but I’ve discovered that the monthly contributors are talents to be reckoned with. Wow, these ladies are beautiful writers, extremely supportive women, and true to themselves and their stories (which I’ve absolutely loved reading).

But back to my story…

April held a couple big anniversaries. It was the year-and-a-half anniversary of my dad’s passing. It also marked the 8th anniversary of his brain surgery, which altered our family‘s world. In the rush of my day-to-day craziness, I almost forgot both days. It’s not that I thought I should sit around crying or anything, but I hate that I barely even took the time to reflect…and just be with thoughts of my dad.

But around that time, there was a bit of a shift in my perspective. It all came thanks to some surprising butterfly spottings. They inspired this post. And yesterday, before it even went live, I had another moment. Pink had a doctor’s appointment that I was nervous about — we’re still working through her gross motor delay with various therapists and doctors — everyone has a theory (ranging from the “it’s nothings” to “it’s somethings”). Well, yesterday started with butterflies in my stomach. But when the nurse showed us to the room, there was a huge poster of a butterfly. I took a deep breath and knew everything would be ok. And it was.

I hope you’ll take a moment to read the entire post from this Underblogger here:

LITTLE SIGNS

Love you, Mom and Dad!