… how about another baby?”

Something has happened to the “me” I’ve known. Almost two years ago I married an amazing man (Mr. Yummy) and moved from Chattanooga, TN to Urbana, OH (Read: Corncob Central). The first year I was here I went crazy and took everyone with me. It was a rough year. Actually, that is a gross understatement but I will spare you the details.

Determined to not have a repeat of year one, I shipped my daughter off for the summer to stay with my mom in Chattanooga while I worked on making things better for her return. (It almost killed me.) With Mr. Yummy firmly planted at my side (we follow that “united front” philosophy); we diligently tackled every issue and every naysayer. (I had to eat my share of humble pie and take responsibility for my stuff along the way, too.) After the dust cleared, Mr. Yummy and I found that we were no longer just a team of two. Our “united front” had grown. Turns out that people just needed to get to know me better and I needed to be less of a bull in a China shop (as my mom would say). It turned out to be an amazing summer. I saw firsthand God’s mercy and love at work. My daughter returned to find a life we both envisioned and we haven’t looked back.

Since then I have been simply enjoying my bliss. I am truly happy. I feel healthier than I have in my life. (Well, I’m not necessarily talking physically – it seems married life over-agrees with me. Ha!) I am completely content with my life just as it is which brings us back to the title of this post. I actually said that to my husband recently: “Honey, I am no longer career minded, how about another baby?”

I am content to the point that, for the first time in my life, I have no idea what I want to do.  And I mean, NO IDEA.  Previously I was always driven by the necessity to make money (as a single mom) and not being content with working for “the man”.  So I started my own business hand-crafting jewelry. It afforded me to be able to work from home. Perfect.

I am no longer a single mom and Mr. Yummy earns enough to enable me to stay home with the kids. (We budget, live modestly, and it works.) We both agree that my earning an extra income would be nice but my being able to stay home is more important. What to do? Well, have another baby of course. I mean, I’m going to be home anyway.

I kid.

I know if I am going to put an effort into anything, it has to be something for which I feel passionate. I do love handcrafting jewelry, but let’s be honest… jewelry artists are a dime a dozen. As a matter of fact, I can think of a dozen artists’ wares right now that I would fork out Mr. Yummy’s hard earned cash to acquire.

Also, I need to do something MORE. It’s not enough to make jewelry. It’s never been enough. I NEED to really feel my work serves a HIGHER purpose. And so that’s where I am today. It’s a beginning, like a clean slate. It’s also a little scary. I know I have to get off my butt and do something. Right now I’m trying to re-enter the virtual world, catch up with long-lost (but not forgotten) friends, and maybe start trying to look beyond the amber waves of grain and corncobs.

By the grace of God I am not defined by the mistakes of my past. I cannot regret anything I have done except for the people I may have hurt. I have grown and I am blessed that those I can still call friends were willing to grow with me. I have a genuine affection for myself and a sincere appreciation for my life and the people in it. I know some who have made far better choices for themselves who cannot say that.