mama mondays: if my closet could talk…

You can learn a lot about a person from her closet.

For the past 16 years, my closet has been heavy on casual with some nicer business attire thrown into the mix. Mostly I needed dress clothes for church and the occasional interview for articles that I would conduct out of the home. The majority of said interviews took place by phone. No dressing up required.

But as of this weekend, that’s all changed. I literally dismantled the contents of my closet and started over. Casual in back this time, dress clothes up front with some order: sweaters first, then shirts, then skirts and jackets.

 

Even the shoes had to be looked over and rearranged. 

It’s all been necessitated by a new and exciting opportunity in my life. This past week I was offered and accepted a full-time job outside of the home and this is one of the most tangible and immediate signs of how my life is going to be different from here on out.

This isn’t something I was aggressively pursuing. But it is something I’ve always watched for through one eye for when the time might be right. Not only does the time seem right but I feel like so much of the work I’ve done in the past years has been in preparation specifically for what’s next.

So today marks my last day of freelance freedom. Tomorrow, I’ll be at my new desk arranging photos of my children and other important things from home to help me ease into the transition and remind me of who I am first and foremost — a mother and wife, a child of God.

But beyond these vitally important things, I have something of value to offer: I am a writer, a teller of stories, a communicator who yearns to get at the heart of who people are and what makes them tick. And I’ve been given a chance to do this in a different setting now. It feels like the right fit and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity.

There have been some loose ends to tie up this past week. There also have been a few sad moments of walking away from some beautiful connections I’ve had and opportunities I’ve been given these past years. My local freelance work for magazines will end. After my next two shows, my hosting for Catholic radio also will come to a halt. But there’s also much to look forward to, many new things to learn and challenges that I’m sure will prompt me to grow. And that makes the goodbyes easier.

I look forward to sharing more in time. You might notice shorter blog posts for a while, and even an occasional day when I can’t quite meet my MWF schedule to a tee. But I don’t plan to stop writing here and sharing insights from my life and what I’m learning. Blogging has become too valuable a part of my routine and one of the things that shouldn’t need to fall away.

On Wednesday, I’ll share more details about the job itself, so if you’re curious, come back for a recap of how things are going on my Wednesday writing blog, Peace Garden Writer. For now, I would love a few prayers for a smooth transition. We have some adjustments to make here at home, too, and I could definitely use some Divine help in making it all come together.

Q4U: I announced my Word of the Year last week: Ready! I do feel ready, even if a little nervous. What has come into view in your life recently that you feel ready for?