The Beginning - My Story

As I reflect on how I got here - to this place and time. So much of it comes from my past. Each phase of life that challenged me, occasionally broke me, and grew me. Part of my monthly blog will be sharing these stories. My prayer is that it challenges you to share your story to create real connections with others. Never forget that each moment and each adventure helps to shape the amazing person you are today. 

Here goes….

I grew up in an idyllic childhood in small town, in rural Iowa. My parents are still married (58 years and counting), they loved each other and their kids. My older brother, younger sister, and I were taught the value of hard work and we saw our parents give their best every day. I have incredible memories of being a “tom-boy”, a quintessential bowl haircut, covered in dirt, and playing outside every chance I could. We made mud pies, built cities out of sticks and leaves, created forts out of wood piles, and spent hours watching the clouds make shapes in the sky. We would run around the neighborhood with friends and knew to be home by the time the street lights came on.

I don’t ever remember not feeling safe, loved, or cared for. When I was 8, my dad got a wild idea to start a pumpkin farm. At first, we grew them on rented land and sold them on our front yard. I’ll never know if I was naturally introverted or extroverted. It was our job to help customers when we got home from school. I logged most of the hours as my brother played football and my sister was too little to help. Little did I know, that those afternoons helping customers would lay the foundation of naturally building connections with people. 

While I don’t recall loving school, I also don’t recall hating it. As with most kids, I was there to see my friends. I did well in my classes and remember taking great pride in perfecting my cursive penmanship. I was an organized child and I enjoyed keeping my room “just so”. Our school was 5 blocks away so as I got older I could walk or ride my bike to school. Many teachers left their mark on me by encouraging me to join speech, theatre, show choir, and many other activities.

We weren’t poor but I do recall conversations about financial boundaries. I was given a set amount for back-to-school shopping and I could decide if I wanted the fancy Guess jeans or more affordable alternatives. We almost always drove and camped on family vacations. We have many hysterical stories of travel mishaps and adventures.  Ask me about the VW Van trip to Texas, it’s a doozy!

Thanks for leaning into my story. I would love to hear yours and stay tuned for the next chapter - the High School Years.