Faith. Women. Empowerment.

The interval between winter and spring can feel like it lasts an eternity. During this lull when you’re waiting for the dead to come to life again, You’re hit with frigid cold days but also some rare, full sunshine, 60 degree miracles—some days it feels like the cold will never end. Soon, we will all be saying, “I wish it would cool down!” at least for those of us inhabiting the roller coaster climate of the Midwest.

Winter brings us inside and inevitably, makes us take an internal look at what brings us joy. When you can’t be outside, basking in the beautiful weather, we have to find things that can fill that void until the plentiful Vitamin D returns.

What I looked deeper into this winter, was the quality of my relationships with others. Who do I have in my life that I can share my whole heart with and vise versa?
Are those relationships being tended to?
I recently heard a passage from “ The Light We Carry” by the incredible, Michelle Obama, — she speaks of friendships like tending to a garden, gathering them around your kitchen table and pouring into them—it was beautiful and also, the absolute truth.

Our relationships should be as intentional as putting on clothes in the morning. Regular check ins and phone calls just to see how we’re all holding up on this journey we call life. Just as a plant will die without water, a friendship cannot grow without your presence in one another’s lives. This isn’t always possible physically, but in whatever capacity— the effort must be there.

In this season of cloudy, long and often dreary days— perfect for soup and bread, a good book by a fire or a movie you’ve been dying to watch—
I also think about all of the love in my life.
The love I have witnessed,
That I’ve experienced,
I’ve watched grow,
I’ve watched last,
I’ve watched end…and the women behind those seasons of love— such fierce souls.

This past fall my Great Aunt Nancy visited us on her way through the area, it was the first time meeting our children and every moment was so precious, for all of us.
After the littles were tucked in, we spent some time with her in the living room to visit. Nathan took the love seat, positioned toward us and we sat like high school besties with our feet parallel on the larger couch. She began to pour her heart out to us, I felt as if I had opened to the middle of a romance novel and somehow knew exactly what was going on and reveled in how magical the story was.
She spoke of the two incredible loves that she had experienced in her life. She spoke of How she laughed, How she had been loved, deeply. How her life was so full, even now. How God has delivered her through anything and that family is everything.

I will never forget how she spoke of her late husband Bud—“When he hugged me, he didn’t just hug me, he held me.” —tears ensued to my eyes that night.
It blew me away to hear such faith, hope and love come from someone who all of my life I looked up to as the sweetest adult, a Godly woman, whom I hoped to resemble one day and one who I could learn so much from.
Now, being 32 years old, to have this conversation after I to have experienced so much life, was indescribable.
That night on the couch will forever be one of my most treasured memories and I hope to be sitting across from her, barefoot, telling stories again soon.

Have you ever experience a hug that was life changing? My sister in law has done this for me since the day we met. “Hi! I’m Corinne!” —HUGS!— To this day, I can remember thinking in the moment that hug lasted “ I am going to marry this man”…. And then I did. THAT is a hug! 🤍 I remind her of this often.

Corinne loves deeply. Her favorite holiday, is Valentine’s Day. Something I just found out and was shocked that I was unaware of, as I consider her my person. God has given Corinne the gifts he of loving others well and also, enormous bravery. She and my
brother in law have endured 3 overseas deployments, and one while their daughter was born. Before his final deployment, I wrote down a mantra— you are beautiful and brave and you CAN do hard things.

To anyone who has loved someone who has served this country and who has had to encounter the day when you say goodbye to them for several months, you KNOW what love and strength looks and feels like. To give birth to one of your children during that separation and to not meet your child until you return home— THAT is love. Caring for one another in as many ways possible, from different countries, different time zones and watching the calendar move like a sloth.

THAT is love.
This type of Love is compassionate, it knows pain, it endures distance, it is relentless to make it back home. Nathan and I look up to them in so many ways and knowing the kind of love they have grown over years of challenge and triumph— is inspiring.

Love, is powerful. It is life shaping. Without it, our existence as humans, lacks purpose. We are made to love and to be loved, fiercely.

Having two children of my own makes me think about their moments in life, their futures, who they will one day be and love. I pray daily, that who they will love first in life is themselves, that they would know who they are and steady the foundation in themselves— before they decide with whom to build upon that foundation with. I pray that they know love and find home as individuals, so that if and when they discover what partner they want to shade into their worlds, their foundation in who they are as individuals — can never be shaken.

Winter— you have given me the gift of reflection. To see the beauty in all seasons, to take care of the people close to me, to love deeply. Thank you for being the season that slows us down and makes us retreat to a place of inner peace.
Thank you for showing us that even in the coldest of seasons— the love within our stories will wrap a blanket around all of us and see us through until Spring.

Until next year ✌🏻