Humbly Courageous

Hello and welcome! I hope that this week has brought you joy in one way or another. I find that I’m learning to appreciate the simple joys in life much more than I used to. If you look for them, they are there, even if buried deep in the darkest day you can always find something.  Getting dressed up is something that I’ve always enjoyed. If you’ve been around, you probably have read that I love fashion, and I love to break away from the norm somewhat with my style. Last weekend we were invited to a charity dinner where I was told we could get pretty fancy if we wanted to. In the past few years there have not been many occasions to dress up for, so it was an exciting challenge to come up with a fancy outfit. For weeks my cousin, sister and I compared notes and planned. All part of the fun! There is a little anxiety for me when it comes to dressing up and finding a shoe that can accommodate a fancy outfit that I like. I definitely can’t do a high heel due to balance issues and lack o...

Hello and welcome! A friend of mine messaged me a couple of months ago and asked me if I would speak at the Wall of Change ceremony at his work. He works in the probation office in the town where I live. The individuals receiving the Wall of Change awards have made significant improvement and progress to live on a better and more impactful path than they were on. He said he thought it would be great to talk about how I’ve overcome obstacles in my life, and how I’ve kept going, even when it’s been tough to do so. I told him that I would be glad to come and speak.  I had been so busy leading up to this speech, and in the back of my mind I thought I’d just use one of my other speeches I’ve written. I figured I had something in my library of speeches that could work. However, when I started to prepare for it, and looked through my speeches, I felt like none of them were the right fit. I also thought to myself, I’m not sure I’m the right fit for this speech. I kept trying to figure out ...

Welcome to the 100th blog post for Humbly Courageous! Wow! A lot of heart went into these blog posts. There is very little I have left out and not shared. I mean a girl has to have a few secrets, right?! But seriously, when I started writing, being anything less than completely vulnerable didn’t feel honest, and I knew if I really wanted to reach people, I had to tell the good, the bad and the ugly. That’s what I set out to do, and now this week finds me writing my 100th blog post. To say I have been blessed by being vulnerable is an understatement. Sometimes, I look at these comments and feel like I’m dreaming. It’s what I always wanted. To feel that sense of connection, and like I am helping somebody in this world who feels alone like I once did.  The 44 years of waiting, was it a waste of time or a lesson in living well? My faith tells me it was, of course, part of my life’s plan. Still, I sometimes wrestle with the thought of all the wasted time when I was angry, and I didn’t a...

Hello, welcome to another week at Humbly Courageous! Guess what? This is my 99th blog post! I wonder if there are any readers who have read all 99? If you have, thank you! I’m excited to share my 100th blog post next week, which also happens to be within the same week that I will celebrate the 4th birthday of my diagnosis day! It’s a day that I love to celebrate now each year. The day, I was finally, formally introduced to my whole self when I was 44. Hey, there’s me! Last week I was invited to speak at the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s Chicago Toast to Life Gala. I was honored to be asked, and I’m not sure I’ve ever been to a gala before. For sure I have never kicked one off with a speech. It’s definitely fun to get dressed up and go and see all of the fancy people. It’s been awhile since I’ve been able to get fancy. 😊  Each time I speak, even though I’m sharing my story, I like to write a new speech. Over time, as I share my story, I think of other things I want to add, or ma...