My childhood is chipping away

2016 was a very rough year for celebrity deaths. Many of these people were quite popular when I was a child. These deaths make me feel a bit old. More than feeling old, the older I get the more sensitive I become and I cry when I think about the family and friends they have left.
Carrie Fisher - I loved her humor and her strength. George Michael - I loved his music and his kindness. You will be missed.

http://fiftiesweb.com/dead/dead-people-2016/

Jack is 8!

Jack, today you are 8 years old! You bring joy to my life every day. What a fabulous 8 years it has been. I love you always! 

This is how I see you as an 8 year old: 

• You are so very kind. You are a good friend, brother and son. 
• You laugh often. 
• You absolutely love your sister. 
• You love pizza and pasta. 
• You don't like sweets so much. You didn't have any cake on your birthday because "it's too much sugar". 
• You like to play Minecraft. 
• You enjoy Pokemon and Star Wars. 
• You give random hugs everyday. Please keep up this practice. 
• You are a homebody. You enjoy staying at home in your pajamas. 
• You like to play mini-golf. 
• You would wear a t-shirt everyday if you could, even when the high is -3 degrees. You seem to never get cold. 
• You like to go sledding. 
• You kick my butt in Uno. 
• You are quick with math. 
• You have an eye for puzzles. 
• You think creatively often. This will serve you well through your life. 

May you keep your sweetness through the years. Be Jack always, the world needs you! 

Writing

       I have never seen myself as a writer. I have longed to be someone who could write a novel: A Jennifer Weiner, a Jodi Picoult, a Glennon Doyle Melton or a Brene Brown. I am not them. I am only me. Of late, I have been digging deep to discover who I am. I have pushed myself away in hopes of becoming like someone else, that, in fact, I don't really know me. I'm working towards no longer apologizing for things that are not my fault. I'm working towards ceasing explaining myself, when an explanation isn't necessary. I'm working towards saying "no" without guilt. I'm working on not being embarrassed if I feel I have "more of something" than someone else. I worry so much that I may look like I'm gloating, that I reduce myself into such a small version of whatever I think I need to be so no one is offended. This, not feeling like I'm gloating, is quite challenging for me. 

       So starting now, when I feel the need/want to write, I will just write. I will not worry about being grammatically correct, nor, sounding intelligent. I am just going to write.