Catch the Passion

I have often thought about starting my own blog- space to process my thoughts on life as I experience it. The funny thing is that I was not held back by lack of wanting to write one, or by lack of commitment to the time and writing, but rather the lack of a title. Seriously, that is the only reason I have not done this sooner.

So, today as I was reading some of my friends' blogs and jealous that mine still did not exist, I made it my goal. I thought about what I would most often write about which made me think about is really important in my life. Truly there are two things above all else- faith and family. My faith is part of everything I do and therefore it would be implicit in any topic. My family follows a close second.

One of the things I am most passionate about is parenting. I LOVE being a mother, watching my child grow into an amazing future adult and navigating all of the obstacles along the way. LOVE IT! I believe that parenting is the most amazing, wonderful, challenging responsibility a person could ever have and would love to spread my passion to other parents along the way.

Personally, I have been a mother now for ten and a half years (or eleven depending on when you count from.) I was a freshman at CU-Boulder when my life changed forever and I became a mother. My daughter was born into the world to a young woman, two weeks shy of her 18th birthday. I was a single mother for 9 years before I married the man who is now her father and I am now learning to parent as part of a team. Our family will be growing yet again this March as baby girl #2 joins us. I am excited to continue this wonderful journey wherever it leads.

Professionally, as a counselor, I have worked with parents of many stages. I have worked in a pregnancy center with women just finding out they are pregnant and working on making one of life's most difficult choices- what to do with an unplanned pregnancy. I have worked as a social worker in foster care, with parents whose children had to be removed for safety reasons, hoping to reunite the families whenever possible. I have worked with parents battling serious mental illness. Most recently I have been working with low-income families and parents who love their children dearly but are struggling to pay the bills. The common thread, I believe a part of my calling, has been working with parents of all sorts of situations and backgrounds. I don't know where this leads but am willing to figure it out along the way.

So as the weeks, months, and years progress, I hope that my musings inspire at least one parent to find the spark to parent passionately. Catch the passion, it's contagious, and feel free to spread it too.