Motherhood, Reinvention, and Seventeen Years of Becoming

This blogging journey began almost seventeen years ago. Even as I type those words, I realize that it is a lifetime, and it almost is. In that lonely night when all seemed lost, my daughter was two and my son not quite six. In some ways, they are older siblings.

Older siblings? Traci, what?

Yes. This blog, in all its forms and names, is a child of sorts. And yet it rebirthed me. Don't worry. I am stopping with the metaphors. We are going down an artistic rabbit hole worthy of the Darren Aronofsky film, "Mother!" I stand behind the point; however, we teach and are taught by our children, and the journey was birthed by me, but it also birthed the me I am now.

From the Traci of 38 and Growing to StarTraci to now, being a mother has been the truest constant. I learned that no career goal, no proof of talent, would ever be the key to my value. I also learned that no amount of love from my children and spouse would ever make me happy if I didn’t take the time to appreciate it. Finally, I learned the greatest lesson of all. If you are hearing Whitney Houston right now, firstly, “you are my people”, and secondly, she was right. I learned that neither of those will make me happy until I learn to love myself.

All that eighties power ballad aside, had I not taken the left turn in Albuquerque, I would never have grown in this way. So on this Mother’s Day, I say thank you to the beautiful boy, the gorgeous girl, and little baby P in heaven who made me a Mom. I am so proud of the amazing humans you are becoming. This world will be all the better for it. You also helped make me shine brightly and ushered me into this exciting new second act.