Me

“No I don’t need the tallest tower to prove to anyone I ain’t weak. I turn my pain into power ever tear’s a diamond on my cheek. Queens don’t hate, queens don’t fight. Queens don’t stay unless their kings treat em right. Oh every jewel on my crown you better believe I earned it. Won’t keep people around that don’t think I deserve it.” Queens Don’t Raelynn

How do you do it? A question I hear daily from everyone. How do I…..really I have no earthly idea I just do. I think it partially comes from the way I was raised. I watched my grandmother handle the world and everyone rely on her. Putting on her big girl panties and just dealing with whatever life was going to throw her way in any given day. That’s something you learn by just doing not something that can be taught.

I grew up in a great big Italian family where ALL the women had very strong opinions about EVERYTHING. For a long time I lived my life according to what they thought would make me happy…..following the steps they had told me were the ones you took. I had not always agreed but did it anyway…..I didn’t necessarily always know what I had wanted out of life but I knew what I didn’t.

It wasn’t until my mid to late twenties that I made a mental decision to do better. To live MY best life and a life I wanted to live. It was not easy at all and I had to listen to a lot of negative things. Luckily I have an amazingly supportive husband and we are a pretty kick ass team!

I was a performer in my teens and switched into backstage work in my early twenties. Then swapped into early childhood education/special education. I have worked with horses as well. I have worn so many different hats sometimes it blows my mind! But I did it all in search of what would really make me happy……I have always wanted to just be a mom and for years I was told I couldn’t only do that. So I looked down every path that interested me. You know what? I wasn’t really happy until I became a mom.

When my husband and I decided that we were gonna make me being a stay at home mom work. Again I got a lot of judgement…..but let me tell you it is the hardest damn job I have ever had. My husband also happens to be a fireman for NYC so life can be stressful and hectic just from that alone….the fire wife life is not for everyone add kids to it and it is incredibly hard at times. But it comes with some serious perks!

Getting to this place has been a roller coaster ride but I am so happy now that I’m here! That does not mean that it’s butterflies and rainbows 24/7 but I know it’s what I want. Every mistake and chance you make provides a lesson to help you on your journey. And when you get it right things truly do fall into place…..but it takes a lot of work/pain/sweat/tears to get there.

So when someone asks “How do you do it all?” I smile and say oh I don’t know. But really the answer is my life has raised me to be able to do it. Worse things can happen and will happen. It may be cliche but if it doesn’t kill me I’ll just get stronger!