When my daughter was a junior in high school she came to me and said she wanted to be the kicker for the varsity football team. I chuckled and basically brushed the idea aside. She was an excellent soccer player which gave her a definite advantage, however, I ignored her statement and assumed it was a passing whim. Her junior year came and went without any other conversations, and I didn’t give it a second thought.

At the end of last year, one of my girlfriends recognized this, and invited me to join a mastermind group, with her and two other like-minded woman. I knew one of the gals and have always admired her, so I didn’t hesitate to say yes. My friend organized the group simply for accountability and support.

Over the fast-paced and changing years, some of those standards aren’t as common in people as they once were. Whenever I witness those values and beliefs in younger generations, my heart smiles. I especially love to see young men showing respect to woman, no matter the age.

In the midst of chaos, I kept hearing my authentic, heart-centered voice tell me to trust and believe that things would work out. Don’t stress or worry…..yeah, those two words aren’t even close to my top ten to avoid……HA!

Another favorite time was the birth of our spring lambs. The soft and wobbly new born lambs would capture our hearts. They would run, jump and play while their moms fed. Each year there would always be one or two lambs that would need to be bottle fed. What a wonderful learning experience that was for my children.

The geese fight for prime nesting real estate, and unfortunately several of these areas are near in proximity to the building doors, both front and back. Early in the season, before spots are occupied there is a great deal of honking, flapping and squawking, over which pair will take ownership. During this time, if a human gets in the middle of the battle, chaos ensues.

I am not really sure how it all began, but years earlier he would come home hungry, and couldn’t wait for dinner to be ready. He would impatiently stand next to me willing the meal to be done, which clearly made the process quicker……not. His impatience morphed into helping chop or stir, and eventually into complete meal preparation together.

From the time my daughter was little into young adulthood, she has always disliked the color purple. So much so, if I ever bought her clothing that had the slightest spec of purple, back to the store it went.

Growing up in a household of equal girl to boy ratio, I was exposed to a good mix of “sugar and spice” and “snakes and snails”. Whether it was summer, fall, winter or spring, racing was always in our blood and lives in some way. Over the years, my Dad and brothers raced in one form or fashion mini bikes, motocross, snowmobiles or cars, and the girls were always rooting them on in spirit, if not in person.

So, what does a single girl do on Valentine’s Day? She hangs with her girlfriends and makes the most of the occasion. Over the weekend I was invited to a “Gal”entine’s’ Day celebration with four of my girlie-gals. We could have whined and complained about not being in a relationship, but instead we celebrated life. It was a fun weekend, and as always, laughter and happiness filled the air.

When it comes to Valentines’s Day, I adore everything about it, including the thought of writing love letters to special people in my life. But how often do we think about writing a love letter to ourselves? If you’re anything like me, probably next to never. This year I decided it was time.

Last week I was chasing sleep all week long. I’d get up every morning vowing to be in bed early that night, but sleep kept eluding me for one reason or another. You know it’s bad when your first waking thought is “I can’t wait until tonight to get back in bed”.

This went on like clockwork for the next two hours, while lively music played. We laughed, sang, bellowed for supplies and bragged to the teams nearby, claiming to complete the highest number of boxes. At the end of the shift, we gathered together to bless the food and pray for its safe arrival.

When I read the funny but poignant sign, it was a reminder of how I want my days to play out…..stress-free. Or, realistically, as close to stress free as possible. So, how does a so called perfectionist learn to have less stress in her life?

A few years ago, a friend had asked me what was my one word for the year…….huh? I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but I liked the sound of it….”tell me more.” She talked about choosing a word that resonated, and felt right in my heart regarding the upcoming year. One word that would inspire me, one word I would go back to time and time again throughout the year, if not on a daily basis. One word to give the year meaning, one word only meant for me.

With the start of a brand spanking new year and three hundred sixty five….well actually, three hundred and fifty nine days left in 2016, what will you do with your time? Most people set goals, make resolutions, and try to make this year better then the last.

In this shiny new year……be present, dwell in the possibilities, listen to your heart, connect with your soul, invite love in, and shine. Each one of us has a unique light to share….let it sparkle, because you are, without a doubt….imperfectly charming.

Buying gifts for my Dad is challenging, when asked what he wants the answer is usually “It’s not necessary to get me a gift” or “I don’t need a thing.” This Christmas was no exception. The only thing my Dad could come up with was t-shirts, but oh, by the way “Your sister already took that idea.” Drat!