The Brave Art Of MotherhoodSample

Living Vibrantly

I have become good friends with the baristas at my local coffee shop. The other day, as I grabbed my caramel macchiato, my barista friend Emilee asked about my book. I told her about the impending due date and thus my need for the extra shot of espresso. Then out of the blue, I said, “You know, you can’t write the end until you know the beginning, but what you really need to know is the story in between.” 

The story in between is your story.

Do you want to know what the brave art of motherhood really is? It’s the in between. It’s your whole story, with the ups and downs and cycles broken and lessons learned. It’s the times when you never, never, never, never give up and the times when you start over. It’s all the days, the weeks, the months that your calendar flips through. It’s not the final destination. It’s not point B on the journey. It’s your now. 

This is why I believe that no matter where you start, you can live a life of exponential potential, with greater possibilities and vibrant dreams. Don’t think, I could never do that, when you read about someone else’s success. Instead, challenge yourself to think, What if I tried? It’s a dare to put one foot in front of the other, to march on, to have faith in your capabilities and future, and unwaveringly understand that you are worth living a life of vibrancy, meaning, and joy. 

Your life matters, and you are worth believing in yourself. You are worth daring to have faith and hope again. You are worth having and pursuing dreams. You are worth being loving and being loved. You are worth a life with a variety of stories you can one day laugh about and cry over. 

When my grandmother held my daughter Hannah the first time, she looked at me and said, “It feels like yesterday that this was your dad. It goes fast. Don’t worry about the mistakes. Just live with joy. Live alive.” And that? That’s what I want you to remember. 

You are worth a life vibrantly alive. 

What would it look like to live “vibrantly alive” this week? What specific actions, words, or thoughts would change?