30 Things - 9/30

List ten people who have influenced you.

1. My daugher, Violet: imaginative - kind - caring
I once read in a book about palmistry that a sudden break or bend in your life line indicates a great change in life. Game changer, Violet was. She's a line-breaker and heart-filler. There's life before Violet, and life after Violet. The before seems comparatively boring to the after. She is continuously making me a better person, and the best part is - she has no idea. She genuinely enjoys the company of others and is unusually caring for a three year old, a quality that makes me proud and inspires me deeply.

2. My sister, Leslie/Sissy: intelligent - independent - ambitious
She is so special. She is so damn intelligent, and always has been. Since I was young, her sharpness and the ease at which succeeding came to her has inspired me. We're the same in many ways and I've always been able to turn to her for sound advice, typically backed by a heavy dose of logic and support. I feel certain we were sisters in another life. She's always been my sister, and probably always will be.

3. My mother, Renee: nurturing - creative - supportive
She has always been a steadfast supporter of mine. Now that I am a mother, I look back on my childhood and draw so much inspiration from my own mother and everything she did for my sister and I. I also recognize certain challenges and hardships that I couldn't understand or recognize as a child. Growing up she was always whipping stuff up - flower arrangements, Halloween costumes, home decor. When I was in kindergarten she covered my sleep mat with floral fabric and extra padding. I attribute my creative spirit to her.

4. My father, Nathan: steady - diligent - loving
The gentle soul, overflowing with love for his family. He is one of the hardest workers I know, maybe the single-most. He would quite literally give his family the shirt off of his back - a phrase that's been so overused, for I feel I've met very few individuals who would actually uphold it. He has a certain calmness and peace about him that I admire. He has always prioritized the stability of his family and home above all else. His ties to family run deep like the roots of an Oak.

5. My husband, Ben: hardworking - generous - fun
My partner in this life. I dreamed about him coming into my life before he actually did. He gives me unwavering support. He works incredibly hard and makes lots of sacrifices. He makes me laugh like no other. He's not familiar with the concept of having a filter, which has provided both times of embarrassment for his more introverted counterpart, but simultaneously lots of amazing stories. He's got a hard candy shell, but can be fluffy on the inside (don't tell him I said that).

6. My grandmothers, Nancy & Imogene: the foundation - the matriarchs
The reasons that I have numbers three and four to be thankful for. My paternal grandmother is no longer earthside, but pieces of her will always linger. She's in my father. She admirably pressed on through many hardships. My maternal grandmother is with us still and feisty as hell. She is fire, I tell ya (scorpio, after all). She is fiercely able and independent.

7. My Mother-in-law, Susan: tranquil - insightful - selfless
Enter a room and look for her. You won't see her at first. Why? Because she's behind the scenes cooking people's food, cleaning up everyone's mess and taking care of the family. This woman has vast amounts of inner strength. In case you need an example of her selflessness, at Christmas she stepped down from playing dirty santa, let someone who didn't bring a gift play with hers and bathed all the children present while their parents enjoyed the game. A family member casually and matter-of-factly stated that she is "literally, the best person." She strives to make the lives of others better.

8. My best friend, Baylee: authentic - supportive - inspiring
My longest friend. She has no idea how dear she is to me. I recently found an old journal from elementary school with a page asking who my best friend was and why. My answer still serves as an accurate summary of us. I answered Baylee because "we think and feel the same about everything." We have the same values, which makes our friendship feel so right and easy. Growing up and going through teenage years, she was and still is unapologetically herself, which inspires me to just be me and do the damn thing.

9. My best friend, Courtney: old soul - loyal - inspiring
Old soul just became an adjective, get over it. Try as I may, there's simply no other way to describe her. Her friendship does and always has brought great comfort to me. She's strong and comforting and wise. In the words of Emily Brontë, "...Whatever our souls are made of, ours are the same." She is intelligent and hardworking. She values the little things in life, which serves as an inspiration for me to slow the hell down and smell of those beautiful flowers.

* Special note regarding my two best friends: The only two who have stuck with me through my gypsy years. They are also both on-board and serve as ideal partners for my future goal of starting and running a self-sustaining commune. Very important. They grow things, make excellent homemade breads, etc... They are domestically badass.

10. My Washington friend, Tamara Jean (whose name isn't Jean at all): youthful - loyal - bright
Just like there are old souls, on the contrary, there are young souls. Enter Tamara. She is so full of life and light. She served as such an uplifting spirit for me during a really difficult time. She is so different than me and it was so serendipitously good for me. She is open, friendly and accepting of everyone. She grounded me by loving quality time over technology - Puzzles, board games and playing music. If Tammy were a color, she'd be sunshine yellow.