Emmers, Sammy and Annie Banani, I have so many thoughts and ideas that I think of that I want to share with you. I'm always trying so hard to get this "mom thing" right at a time that I'm truly learning there is no "right" just "real".  The reality is that I what I've been trying to do for the past 20 years is to protect you from experiencing any of the pain or struggle that I have experienced.  I now totally get that A) I can never protect you in that way because pain and struggle is part of living life; B) My pain and struggle have taught me compassion, understanding, empathy and wholeheartedness and I'm grateful for those qualities in myself and C) we learn the most from bravely facing the struggles and the pain in your life (from being vulnerable).  Instead of trying to protect you, I want you to know that I am right here by your side, right here in the arena of life  with blood, sweat and tears on my face just like you, you are not and never will be alone.
I write this "blog" because I want to share and I want a record forevermore of the thoughts, ideas, the LOVE in my heart.  I write it to you and I write it for me.  Hold my hand and all I ask is that you just read when I write.  That's the gift you can give me. I love you three way more than to the moon....I love you to the center of my heart.

I am teaching my class based upon Brene Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection. This morning I read the following quote from her, 

"I always ask a very simple question to people. I just say, think of the last time you did something that you thought was really brave or the last time you saw someone do something really brave. And I can tell you as a researcher — 11,000 pieces of data — I cannot find a single example of courage, moral courage, spiritual courage, leadership courage, relational courage, I cannot find a single example of courage that was not born completely of vulnerability. We buy into some mythology about vulnerability being weakness and being gullibility and being frailty because it gives us permission not to do it."

Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable is something that I so want you guys to learn and I hope you partially learn it by example from me.  Being here at Mom's Weekend at OSU is like stepping back in time for me.  I see so many mom's reliving their college years and frankly trying so hard to look and act "younger", "prettier", "wealthier" than the other women they may encounter.  I've had a few twinges of those pangs of insecurity I have felt so many times in the past.  Those feelings of "not-enoughness" not smart enough, not pretty enough, not rich enough....blah, blah, blah....yuck!  Fortunately these feelings only last for a second before I remember.....I AM IMPERFECT and I AM ENOUGH!  The above quote from  Brene is a reminder that being brave, being strong, being a leader, doing the right thing even if it's hard and less popular all of these courageous choices stem from vulnerability.  All these STRONG, COURAGEOUS  acts of showing up and being seen come from being vulnerable.  I am willing to show up and show you the real me and I want you to learn to live the same.  You are perfectly imperfect.....and so is every person you care about in your life.  Break the myth that being vulnerable is weakness, you'll be so far ahead of the game!  
I love you to the center of my heart,
Mom....Mommy.....Mama.....DD

Hi there.  Where do I begin....I have so many things that I wish I would have done different (there are lots of things that I'm proud of and wouldn't change for anything too).  I hope I am an example of a life-long learner for you as I continue to work really hard to grow up and to live my best life.  In this process, I often learn things about myself and about life that I wish I would have known earlier and could have done a better job of teaching you.  To that end, welcome to my mom blog.  All I ask is that you read and also that you love me just the way I am because I'm real, and I'm going to be real with you here, I'm taking off a hat I've been wearing and trying on a new hat, an authentic, come as I am hat.  My purpose today is just to simply post this darn thing and see if it works, I plan to put on some pictures, quotes and even music in the future. For now, please, please, please (one for each of you) take my hand and just walk with me for a little while every now and again....okay??? I love you so much and if you know one thing about me, know that I try with every breath I take to be the best mother, role model and person I can be, that's all I can ask of myself.