This spring, I want to:

• live deeply,
• breathe in the fresh air,
• open the windows more often,
• take lots of evening walks,
• visit the lake as much as I can,
• love fiercely & intentionally,
• soak up happy hour patio chats,
• and take a lot of Claritin so I can do all these things without itchy eyes :)

Happy Wednesday! Spring is here in two more days, and I for one can’t wait! This winter seemed as if it would never end…and now that it’s past us, it feels like such a blur.

I had a planned post for today, but I found it feeling forced…and I don’t ever want this blog to be that way. If you caught my post about blogging a few months ago, you know some of the WHYs behind this blog, but when it comes down to it, I blog because I love to write, and I love to write because I believe in stories.

There is power in making our stories known. In sharing our lives, our fears, our worries, and struggles, and in sharing our triumphs and joys too. Too often we huddle around this life, keeping everything in and everyone out. We think no one will understand, that no one will care…so we isolate and internalize, and walk around our days feeling alone. But, just as I tell my students, and just as I often have to remind myself…we are in this together.

And while in no way can I even attempt to compare my meager words to “literature”, I believe this quote still rings true. By sharing our stories, we live authentically and we encourage those around us by letting them know we’ve been there too. Sharing stories silences that little voice in our head that whispers words of loneliness and despair. It shows us that we’re not alone, that we’re not the only one struggling, and that we’re not that different after all. We belong.

That’s a pretty great feeling to have :)

So, wherever this Wednesday takes you, may you go boldly and transparently; sharing your story to lift others up.

And may the pollen count stay low forever and ever, Amen. ;)

Love love love,

Sami