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January, February and March, felt like proof to me that my life was headed where I wanted it to go. I felt confident in my choices Hope was in my heart Life felt full of possibilities and I was taking them I could see it... My new place A yard Rooms for my girls when they came to visit New flower gardens to plant and enjoy Unpacking my belongings from a year in storage and being excited with each box. I felt confident at work Building a team that was kind, supportive, and sh

I am sitting in the ER with my dad. This is our third visit trying to figure out what’s going on. I want to be clear. This isn’t a negative reflection on healthcare workers. Every person we’ve encountered has been personable, caring, and kind. My dad usually goes through the VA, and his primary care is there. But right now, the VA can’t provide some of the services he needs quickly enough, so the ER becomes the option unless you want to wait… and sometimes waiting just isn’t

Is there anyone else out there who absolutely loathes money? I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a time when money didn’t cause me stress, worry, or fear. Growing up, we didn’t have much. We drove used cars, our house was always a project, and my dad often traded work instead of taking money. My parents tried to shield us from financial stress, but as kids, we noticed things, overheard conversations, comparisons with others, and little glimpses that life is tight. Early Lesso

Some days I wake up and feel like I’ve finally figured life out. And then other days? Self-doubt walks in like it owns the joint. Three months ago, I was approved for a home loan. I remember reading the email and thinking, Okay. This is real. This is the next chapter. The hard part was over, right? I filled out the forms, I qualified. I'm good to go. Then I toured a house. From the very first walkthrough, I knew. It was special. I could see me living there. I started dreaming

Three years ago, I took a big leap of faith and applied for a job that wasn’t outside my skills or abilities but it was way outside my career comfort. I had worked in public education for almost 24 years. And the saddest part is after nearly 25 years with the same school district, I still didn’t make enough to comfortably support myself. There were no retirement savings. No savings account. Just a credit card with a balance for the months I came up short. I knew I couldn’t k

The holidays were very different for me this year. My girls are adults now, and I know some traditions mean a lot to them, but not being in a place of my own changed everything. Their stockings were in storage. The cookie cutters were in storage. Ornaments. In storage. My past. In storage. So it looked different. It felt different. And somehow… that was okay. I’m starting to realize how many traditions actually just add stress to my life. This year, I paid attention to what r

My mom used to say she could be in a room full of people and still feel lonely at times. I understand that now, in a way I didn’t when I was younger. Her mom, my grandma, lost her husband when she was 40. She never remarried. She lived alone until she was 93. And yet, she never talked about being lonely. She traveled. She moved. She lived in different places. She bought cars. She did what she pleased. Somewhere along the way, I think my mom gave parts of that adventurous spir

Somedays life somehow pushes me forward even when I’m dragging my feet. The part inside of me that encourages rather than discourages is getting louder. I did a thing. Something I’ve talked myself out of for years: I finally applied for a home loan. And let me tell you, the mental gymnastics leading up to that were Olympic-level. My brain: Jodi, what are you thinking? You won’t qualify. You can’t own a house. You don’t know what you’re doing. Play it safe. Just do an apart

My mind never stops, my thoughts never come one at a time, and I’m finally starting to accept that maybe this is exactly who I’m meant to be.

I came across this post on Facebook today. This is how I want to be. I want to pick me and my needs. I won't change my vibration for anyone anymore. I no longer will eat the crust. Before she broke up with me, she straight up told me, "Look, I love you & I'll probably love you forever, but I'm no longer interested in the level of life you have to offer me; and because of that, I have to let you go. It's not about hate, anger, or bitterness — it's about growth. I'm not askin

January 6th. Wednesday night is church night. My youngest daughter and I headed into town that evening so she could attend her confirmation classe. As the confirmation coordinator, I was there to help out. Then, I received a text message from my middle daughter. She mentioned that Dad was driving her into town to drop her off at the church so I could assist her with a paper due the next day. My first thought—literally the first thought that crossed my mind—was, "That's strang

That night, after the notifications wouldn’t stop, I knew I needed a plan. A plan to tell him we were done and not fall back into believing it wouldn’t happen again because it would. Deep down, I knew that. I needed a plan to tell my girls, to tell my family, to tell his family. The first thing I did was take screenshots. I didn’t do it for him, or even for them, I did it for me. Proof, yes, but also a reminder. A reminder not to forgive and forget. I had done that before, a

It all started during winter break. I was home during the day, we made the choice early in our marriage that I would stay working at the school so a parent could be with our girls as much as possible. We didn't want our girls to spend 12-14 hours a day in daycare. My husband at the time worked in construction, often 60+ hours a week, frequently out of town. He had been laid off for the winter, so I was home, paying more attention than usual to his behavior. I had noticed l

I’ve been working on part one of the journey ChatGPT help me set up on finding out what makes me happy. I needed a tool that wasn't biased and that could help me figure out how and where I should start to find out what makes me happy. I felt for so many years I have done what makes others happy that I authentically didn't know what made me happy. I was frozen in the process and just didn't even know where to start. Lately, I’ve been paying closer attention to those moments

Recently, I’ve felt a deep pull toward authenticity, toward finding meaning and purpose that goes beyond the surface routines most of us, myself included, tend to accept. I remember feeling this same restlessness back in the early 2000s, wondering: Is this it? Is this all life has to offer? I wanted to believe I was put here to do something bigger, something that mattered, not just live in the cycle of work, eat, sleep, repeat. I call it my soul asking for more, my body feeli

This is the story of the day I had to Eat the Crust and put myself first. The day I found out my husband had cheated AGAIN. Does that last sentence read a little more dramatic than it should be? Absolutely. This wasn't a shock; it wasn't something new. The only difference this time was me. I was done. I knew I deserved more. I wanted more. It was betrayal layered on top of years of silenced doubts, overlooked red flags, and forgiveness I didn’t owe him. This was the mom

I was sixteen, pregnant, and terrified. There was no family meeting, no discussion of options; it was just assumed what we would do. The plan was simply handed to me: you’ll marry him. And because no one told me otherwise, because no one even gave me words like choice or freedom, I believed it. I believed this was the only path, the only way forward. Then I miscarried. For a moment, it felt like the world cracked open just enough for possibility to slip in. I remember thinki

When I think about where I first lost my voice, it goes back further than my marriage. It goes all the way back to when I was a little girl. My grandfather hurt me. From the time I was around four until I was about ten years old, I lived with that secret. At that age, I didn’t know how to speak up. I didn’t even understand what was happening, let alone how to put words to it. I knew it didn’t feel right, but I didn’t feel safe telling anyone. A part of me must have known it w