A 2014 Love Letter to My Family

Written By: Kim - Dec• 25•14

This year is coming to a close. As I think back about 2104, there have been wonderful changes for our family. The three of you (ok, four if you count Sydney, our Airedale Terrier) continue to make my life full. I love coming home because of you. Here are the highlights that I remember:

  • Connor, you finished your sophomore year and started your junior year. You continue to mature and grow in your approach to handling your schoolwork. I am so proud of you.
  • You are still dating the same girl you were last year when I wrote my 2013 letter. Maintainin2014-02-07 14.23.37-1g a relationship takes work. Maintaining one that is now long distance since she moved on to college, takes even more work. Congratulations on this milestone. She is lovely inside and out. We like the two of you together. And, you attended her senior prom. From out point of view, it seemed like a fun experience for you.
  • You found your first part-time job, lifeguarding. As much as you complained about being on the swim team, it’s ironic that you continue to earn a paycheck as a lifeguard. I admit that I am having the last laugh on this after all the push back you gave me. You have taken your work seriously and I am proud of you. You also turned down a beach vacation this summer with your best friend to spend more time with your girlfriend before she left for college. Very telling son, that you know where your priorities are at your age. Your loyalty to those you love is astounding.
  • Connor, you not only earned your driver’s license, you also purchased your first vehicle. I thought I had left jacked up trucks with big tires behind when I moved from Alabama, but your truck is a constant reminder of where I came from. And, that’s never a bad thing. You are now beginning to understand that money does not grow on trees. This is a major milestone in anyone’s growth and I am glad that you have realized this at your age. I am so grateful that God gifted me with you. Your future is so bright and I am happy to be a part of it.
  • Abby, you transitioned from junior high school to high school this fall. I am so happy that you like high school. You are such a serious child. I think that you have an old soul. Based on what I know about you, it makes complete sense to me that you enjoy being around people who are more mature than the kids your age.
  • 2014-08-31 13.56.05Despite my pleading that you join the swim team (you do sustain less injuries), you made the basketball team. You are working hard to improve yourself. Even as a young child, you always had fantastic hand-eye coordination and this is now paying off for you as an athlete. I am so proud of all that you have accomplished.
  • You currently are 10th in your class academically. Abby, you are super smart. I knew it the minute I first looked into your eyes. Your future is so bright and I am happy to be a part of it.
  • Abby, this spring you were confirmed. In our Catholic faith, this is not only a sacrament, but a major milestone. My heart is so full as you continue on this faith-filled journey.
  • I am not going to lie, Abby. Our relationship has been strained this year. Friends with older teenage girls say this phase is normal for girls your age. I am glad to hear this, but I will also be glad when this phase is over. It really hurts me that we don’t seem as close as we used to be. But, I am still extremely grateful that God gifted me with you. And, if I ever made you feel anything less than that, I am truly sorry.

2014-08-10 19.59.11Mike, we celebrated the big 23 years of wedded bliss in 2014. What a journey we have been on. In church recently I looked over at you while you were on your knees praying. My heart was so full of joy and love for you at that moment, I am not quite sure how to express myself. I will just say that I cannot imagine being on this life journey with anyone else. Thank you for being my husband. And I am most definitely glad that God gifted me with you because without you, who knows what my life now would look like. Thank you for your support as I left my six-figure job to start my own business. Out of all the people I know, I knew that you would understand the most. Thank you for believing in me.

I love you all. Here’s to an even better 2015.

What I Learned at Oprah’s Live the Life You Want Tour

Written By: Kim - Sep• 28•14

When a good friend approached me this past spring about going to the Oprah’s Live the Life You Want Tour, the timing wasn’t exactly great. I had just started my consulting business the same month and every dollar mattered. But, I decided that it was too good of an opportunity to turn down.

2014-09-26 18.09.16The weekend was really about self-development, be it personal or professional. While we were not in the most glamorous location, here’s what I learned in Newark, NJ.

  • People love Oprah, especially women. Brave men came along with their significant other or partner. Hats off to you men for sharing this experience with someone in your life who matters to you.
  • The lack of basic self esteem is astounding in people. I don’t mean someone who criticizes their feet or hair, but deep-seeded feelings of despondency, whether they are successful or not. Oprah brought a woman up on stage who had four children and a master’s degree (she looked so young) and she was beating herself up because she wasn’t using her master’s degree in her job.
  • Women really do support other women, despite all of the negative headlines. When this woman was on stage, Oprah pointed out that she had accomplished quit a feat: she had four young children and had completed her master’s degree. As she continued to cry (Oprah really is the best therapist) someone in our section yelled out as it became quiet, “We believe.” We believe in you. What support.
  • People make a difference in this world, even with the small resources they have available. One of this tour’s sponsors was Toyota. On this tour, their foundation hands out grants to deserving organizations during the day that is called a Toyota Standing Ovation. On our stop, the Camden Sophisticated Sisters received not only $25,000 from Toyota, but a $25,000 match from a woman in the audience. I realize that all causes are worthy, but this particular story was riveting. A 15 year-old single mother, challenged by her grandfather, kept this organization going after the funding dried up. Thirty years and three more children of her own, the CSS students have a 100% high school graduation completion record in a city that has a 50% drop out rate. Making a difference in so many lives – one at a time. Wonderful.
  • You have to own your destiny. Look, you can’t control who your parents are or where you came from, but you can control where you are going. You are the only one who can decide what is best for you; what your quest is; where you belong. It may not always fit into a nice idea that other people have and you will encounter plenty of naysayers. Screw them. You get on your quest and follow your dream. And, quite frankly, the naysayers may have to be cut out of your life if they can’t support you. Remove the negative language from your life and replace it with phrases like: I’m on my way, I can do anything, I know my life has meaning, I listen to my heart, I am taking steps to be healthier. You get the idea.

2014-09-27 09.08.57So, if I am going to share this small amount of feedback about this tremendous experience, then I should share my new vision that I created this weekend. Yeah, Oprah gave us homework.

My New Vision

  1. I am becoming a financially-secure business owner.
  2. I will be more present during family moments.
  3. I will speak gently to myself and others, removing negativity so that those words do not get left in my couch cushion (per a story Oprah told about Maya Angelou).
  4. I have a mission to make sure that my family knows how much they matter to me and how beautiful my life is because of them.
  5. I’m on my way to traveling more with my family so that we all can experience what the world has to offer.

Let me know if you create a new vision so that I can find out if there is any way that I can support you (other than cheering you on)!