The Beginning..

As a child, I was very active in dance, theater, running, running (did I mention running?) I was a child that had her mind made up about her life at the ripe old age of 6. In the best handwriting that I could muster, I had written my Academy Award Speech. My participants to my speech consisted of a few Madame Alexander Dolls, Teddy Bears, and the Stretch Armstrong that I stole from my brother :) I would put my mothers make up on (never really putting in on correctly) and wear her high heels and my best Sunday dress. I practiced that speech every day. There is not a time in my life to this day that I have missed the Academy Awards. Oh, I had it planned out.

But, now, in my 30's...I have learned that while it is wonderful to make plans at 6...that you have to roll with the punches when it doesn't work out that way. I sold out (no disrespect to my previous jobs...because they were awesome...well, some of them) and took the corporate route. My heart never ever left the dream of Acting and Writing and one day producing. My brain had to take over and tuck those dreams in the recesses of my mind.

I have struggled every day since for not listening to my heart. But, if I had taken off to LA at the ripe age of 18, I know that I wouldn't have made it. I wasn't ready. Most importantly, I wouldn't be where I am today. I never would have met the people that I did, I would have never loved the way I did, and I would have never lived a full life like I have. Most importantly, I never would have met my husband and had 3 babies. So, someone upstairs knew what He was doing.

I turned my disappointment into laughter. I made jokes about everything and it was always directed to myself. I used my Training platform in the corporate world to use humor. Whenever anyone was down...I did whatever I could to make them laugh.

I say all of this because after that lovely age of 6....I encountered many storms and I was grateful for the gift of laughter.