Thinking Out Loud

I've found myself discussing this blog often in the past week, so much so that is has me reminiscing. I started blogging so many years ago because I had figured out how to do something that was helping my family survive on a very meager income. We were barely getting by and I was doing anything I could to help better our circumstances. I learned to coupon, stockpile, shop smarter and cook smarter. Everything about how I ran our household changed. I wanted to share my knowledge with others like us, those who were living well beyond the poverty line. Those who could use skills like couponing to keep their families from going hungry. It worked. I helped people. It was an incredibly rewarding experience and I can honestly say looking back that I am proud of what I accomplished.

I fell off the wagon. My marriage imploded. Life completely turned on it's head. I made some not great choices, but I made my share of good ones as well. Like many who find their lives taking a completely new turn, I struggled. Sometimes I feel like I barely survived drowning. Somehow, I got my head on straight, pulled myself up by the bootstraps, and moved forward.

Here I am now. I am a single mom. A full time nanny. A full time college student. I've accomplished a lifelong dream of becoming a published author. Things are by no means easy, perfect, or constant sunshine and rainbows. After years, I am finally making my own life, on my own terms, and loving every moment. Each up and down teaches me something. It can be scary. Overwhelming. So stressful. It's also an amazing ride.

What I have decided is that I want to share this journey. It's not the vision I had when I began writing here all those years ago, but it's my life, and that was always sort of the point. Plus, I know their are others like me; single parents who work, struggle, laugh, cry, and just hang on when they find themselves starting over. So, I am going to share, try to help, and hopefully empower. If I help even one person realize they aren't alone, then my heart is happy.