A Letter To My Children
*I wrestled with posting this publicly because the words were written for my children, but I think there could be value in it for others as well.*
To the three amazing humans who call me Mom,
I am not sure if you read my last blog post, but if you did I am sure you have some questions. Perhaps you are wondering how your mother could choose to move thousands of miles away from you for four months and then write about it as if it is a great adventure. Maybe all of the risks of travel and life in a large city make you worry about my safety. It is possible you are angry and hurt that I made this choice - when you wanted me to make one that kept me closer to home and to you. You could also be torn between being excited for me and sad at the same time. All of these thoughts and questions are understandable and I wouldn’t blame you for any of it.
You see, the crazy thing is that you are all a big part of why I said yes to this adventure and to living life “through the air.” There are so many things in life that I have failed to teach you or let you experience because I was scared or insecure. My intentions were to protect you, but I know that in many ways I held you back or raised you to be scared too. Maybe me [finally!] learning to live my life this way will help you to be more free to live the lives that you were created to live too.
As I think about how I want to live the rest of my life and what I hope to instill in you through it, the following life lessons come to mind:
You are never too old to try new things or to experience new adventures. Every tiny piece of your life that is lived with you feeling like your soul is being filled by great experiences and great adventures (large or small) is worth it. It is never too late to reach for those pieces of life.
It is ok to change directions or start over in life - even if it feels crazy or other people don’t see what you see. I wholeheartedly believe that you have been created with the ability to deeply know if you are going in the right direction in life. If your heart and soul are telling you to change directions, listen. You may not know where you are going to land, but the journey will be amazing.
Living an authentic life and loving people authentically are the most beautiful gifts that you can give the world. You will be vulnerable and your heart may be hurt because of it; but you will experience love, joy, and freedom in ways that you never could have imagined. Having a real and open heart is always worth it.
I also want you to learn some things about me through this journey:
It is often hard to see our moms as anything other than just that - a mom. Sometimes we forget that they are even human. I hope that this experience will help you see the human side of me. When you were little I was the person you looked to for comfort and security and love. I never want you to lose that memory of who I am to you, but I also want you to see all of the other pieces of my humanity. I am trying to learn how to be honest about who I am and what I need in life. I hope you are inspired to learn how to do the same. I am someone with scars and broken parts who is choosing to see the beauty in all of them. May you recognize this as an invitation to see the overwhelming beauty in your own scars. I am unapologetically human, but I will always be your mom. I know it will be powerful for you to see that they are inseparable, and to love them both.
Some final thoughts about who I hope to inspire you to become:
Be leap takers. Pursue your dreams, start something you are passionate about, build something new, follow your heart, and change the world.
Be life chasers. If you are going to chase after anything; let it be a life of passion, adventure, self-fulfillment, wholeheartedness, true belonging, and authentic love.
Be global citizens. Embrace other cultures, learn to see and appreciate all of the unique people and places in the world, travel as much as you can, listen to people who don’t sound like you, love people who don’t look like you, and always be willing to walk far more than a mile in someone else’s shoes.
The three of you mean more to me than you will ever fully know, because I do not have enough words to describe it. You remind me every day of what it means to love someone completely and unconditionally. You make me want to work hard to become a better version of myself. You make me laugh and bring me more joy than anyone else in the world. Thank you for the amazing blessing of being your mom, and also for your love and acceptance of the human part of me. I hope that my life can (in some way) inspire you all to live the best versions of your own.
I love you more,
Mom