A little over a year ago, I got a phone call that shook my little world; I was convinced I had encountered a major roadblock in my career.  The not-so-quick-fix was to haul my cookies back to school and become certified in the practice of Esthetics.  My participation in this program meant big changes for my family and business; mainly, time away from both.  But I did it and persevered, and yesterday I completed the second of two South Carolina state board exams.  Today I’m done.  And yet, I’m so not.

What I thought was a traumatic situation turned into one of the most enriching, educational experiences of my life.  That “roadblock” turned out to be a roundabout: a means to overcome an obstacle. . . a way to get around it.  It has been a year of proving to myself that I can do pretty much whatever I set my mind to.  I can be an A-student at any age; I can learn new skills; I can juggle a lot of stuff and still be a good mom and wife.  But I couldn’t have done it without the support and love of my family.

And my Friends.  The ones who were in the trenches right alongside me.  The ones who, for their own reasons, decided to enhance their livelihoods, too.  And none of us could have done it without the brilliant mind and loving support of our instructor and mentor, ‘J-Norm.’  This experience set lifelong relationships in place.

So, I say to my children:  Jordan & Culley & Livi, if you think Life ever hands you an insurmountable situation, go ahead and freak out for a minute (it’s a good motivator;).  Then get on with the business of attacking said situation.  And know you have a team: Dad + Me, and all the people who respect and cherish you.  Trust yourselves to assemble a network of support.  You, my children, can do even more than I can.  And that’s a whole lot.

#RiseUp

#MeetTheChallenge

#ExceedExpectations