Trying to Have It All

I’ll never be SuperMom, but that doesn’t mean I can’t try and have it all.

If there’s anything that turning 40 and watching your 39-year-old husband battle cancer teaches you, it’s that thinking you’ll always have later to live the life you really want is foolhardiness. Later is NOW and I’d rather not be the fool who on my death bed rattles off my list of “should’a, could’a, would’ves” to my loved ones in a pathetic attempt to add meaning to my life.

That is what I kept thinking when I knew I’d have to give up being a full-time, stay-at-home Mom to return to work. If I now had to give up some of my time caring for my family (which is all I wanted to do), so that I could provide for them, I’d better love what I do. Otherwise, it felt like we were all being cheated.

Gretchen Reid of Motherhood Transitions helped me to see clear of the box I had put myself in, which is why I’ve written a guest post on her blog today about where I started over a year ago and how this month, I finally find myself Coming Full Circle…

Hey! Where’d my blog go? And more important matters.

While I’m sure no one really noticed, *ahem* it has been over TWO MONTHS since my last post! Ack! Hellooooo… anybody out there? You’ve all gone on to more important things than checking in to see if I’ve come back from the dead, I know. After my first successful year of regular (okay, somewhat regular) posts, I let a few weeks lapse give my perfectionist ego all the justification it needed to apply the “all-or-nothing clause” and wait for my world to stop spinning on its’ axis so I’d have a good hour to devote to a proper post. HA! My poor house plants, which have been brought back from the brink more times than Dick Cheney on a stretcher, were sadly under the same clause. Only, there’s no bringing them back this time.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about blogging over this past year, it’s that you can’t wait to finish the laundry, pay the bills, mop the floors, and have dinner simmering on the stove before you give some love to your blog. Nope. Bloggers are probably some of the worst housekeepers you’ll ever meet, and they’ll be the first to admit it – on their blogs to the whole world. Because it’s all about being genuine, not perfect. And genuine means you may only have 15 minutes to get what’s in your head out on the page; typos and all. I’m still learning to embrace this part of blogging… seizing the moment when inspiration hits. Kind of like a Cialis ad.

There have been many moments of inspiration over these past two months, but since I didn’t seize those moments then, here they are in a nutshell now:

1. Reagan and I attended the new bubbles exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Denver with the Mile High Mamas. We had a blast!
2. Jim Kelly’s Second Annual Crawfish Boil was held. Reagan managed to eat the tops off of 6 cupcakes without me seeing, until I found the evidence all over Jim’s yard.
3. I was finally making progress on my New Year’s resolution to go back to the gym when a short-term, full-time contract position was plopped in my lap. Given a little lapse in my freelance work, I gladly accepted it and started work the next day.
4. After 2+ years on disability because of cancer, my husband won his fight to return to the Air Force Reserves! He won’t be able to fly with his C-130 unit at Petersen Air Force Base for another 3 years, but, will be cross-trained into another position. A letter from Senator Mary Landrieu of Danny’s home state of Louisiana was sure to have helped and we are forever grateful.
5. Danny receives the long-awaited letter from the FAA telling him he can return to work at Frontier! Our livelihood is finally restored!
6. Danny is studying full-time while I’m working full-time and Reagan is at daycare full-time. *Ugh*
7. Working full-time, taking care of my family and the house, begins to take it’s toll. I’m bone-tired and the house is slowly sliding into a sinkhole of disorganization. My perfectionist side gives up.
8. Danny’s first day back at work at Frontier (in training)!
9. My iMac goes in for repair for the 3rd time in as many years. It has now had more parts replaced than Tara Reid. Or Heidi Montag. Take your pick.
10. Apple refuses to see it my way and give me a new computer to replace the lemon they gave me after all the trouble I’ve had. *fuming* But, they will fix it.
11. Reagan gets a new princess sleeping bag and we have the easiest bedtime routine ever every night for the next week!
12. We spend a glorious 4th of July weekend in Steamboat Springs with friends!
13. My contract job is finally up and I’ve decided that two parents working outside the home is definitely not for us.
14. Reagan’s first sleepover birthday party for her friend, Ana (4) in Winter Park!
15. City Park Jazz in Denver with our friends, the Kellys!
16. Packed up Reagan’s baby monitor. Forever. *milestone*
17. My iMac is ready! (2 weeks later) Now for the miserable task of restoring all my files from back-up. *blech*
18. Back to the gym and feeling good again!
19. Another friend turns 4! Good times with the Bickings!
20. Reagan takes her first swim class!

And last night, Danny passes his check ride and we pop open the champagne to toast to his official return to the friendly skies as soon as next week!

But the biggest news of all… today Danny got the official word from his Oncologist that his most recent PET Scan shows no signs of Lymphoma and that he is AS GOOD AS CURED!!!! Hallelujah!!!

Time to pop open another bottle of champagne!

Office Hours

We’re already into week three of our new family routine and I’m just starting to emerge from the haze. Amoxicillin is owed part of the credit after two weeks of suffering a sinus infection. The rest, is owed to being able to finally catch-up on my to-do list. Not that I’ll ever get to the end of it, but progress is being made. And that progress is a result of finally accepting that…

I am a working Mom.

Though I’ve been a working Mom since last April, it’s something I’ve struggled with daily. The struggle has been not only a mental, guilt-ridden one, but a physical, office-challenged one. Working from home with a two-year-old afoot would prove to be more than a minor trial, my roles shifting from minute-to-minute. An attention-starved, hungry, nap-time toddler cares not that you’re on a deadline or that you have a very important client on the other end of the phone. Your computer is her competition and she’ll do whatever it takes to get in between you and it. And even though we are a two-parent-at-home family, that never seemed to help in carving out what was my “work” time and what was my “mommy” time. It all  blends together. After all, you’re there, why can’t you change this diaper or take care of lunch, help with the laundry or read The Very Hungry Caterpillar? No matter how hard I tried, I was never successful at setting “office hours” that everyone else in the family would dutifully observe.

After 10 months, we have finally reached a crossroads. Danny is about to return to work as a pilot after two years of FAA-enforced medical leave. We will no-longer be a two-parent-at-home family. It’s just gonna be me. And, while at the beginning of this return-to-work-adventure I had no idea whether this would be a short or long-term commitment, it is clear now that to do what’s best for my family means I’m in it for the long-haul. And, my “office hours” were about to get even shorter. We had one thing working for us: Reagan turns three this month. And three, means preschool.

We spent several weeks exploring our options. I took Reagan with me for a whole day, visiting four preschools where she not only got to try out the classrooms, but the playgrounds too. Our favorite was the school where she got to dress as a cowgirl and pass the rope and spurs around to the rest of the kids. When the teacher called for everyone “wearing pink” to get in line, she got up and ran to her place in line as if she were already part of the class. As I put her to bed that night, she asked “Mommy, we go to more preschools tomorrow? Find Reggie’s best!”

And, we did. Reagan now goes every day to a full-time, in-home pre-school/daycare and gets the very best care, play-time, nap-time and education that we found available. I’m thrilled that she’s taken on weekly outings to puppet shows, skating rinks, the zoo and more, and comes home every day with amazing art projects and singing new songs. She loves learning, exploring and playing with other kids all day, and no doubt, would’ve been happier had we done this 10 months ago. I miss her every moment she’s away and wish I could be the one doing all those things with her. But, the time apart has also made it easier for me to accept my role as a working mom and given me the clearly defined office hours I so desperately needed to fulfill that role. And when Reagan’s home from her day of reciting the alphabet and doing the Hokey Pokey, the night is all mine. It’s all mommy time.

A Bird’s-Eye Perspective on Role Reversal

I’ve only been working outside the home for three weeks and I’m already wondering how other working moms do it?! For the past six months, I’ve been working from home part-time while my husband waits to be allowed to return to work at Frontier Airlines after his bout with cancer. My work has been irregular, to say the least. So, when a short-term contract position came up working on-site full-time, I had to take it. Not only for the regular income, but also because I knew it would be good for both Danny and I to have the complete role-reversal experience. I had to see if I could handle it, and, it gives Danny the opportunity to be the full-time caregiver for our daughter; something he has both enjoyed and grown from. It has been a great learning experience for both of us. But, in times of health, we have never been so exhausted! Well, there was that first three months of round-the-clock feedings as new parents…

My work day typically starts with long hugs and kisses from my baby, followed by sliding out the door while listening to her wail “No, Mommy, wait!” It is gut-wrenching. I think about her all day… wondering what mischief she’s up to now and how potty-training is going. My husband texts me the highs and lows: new playground friends and crib accidents. By the time I get home at night I am craving just to hold her. It is like a little slice of heaven when I come through the door to my baby running into my arms, yelling “Mommy!” with a huge smile on her face. The embrace doesn’t last long before she’s telling me her most pressing need: Dora or milk.

Until 9:00 p.m. when I can finally get her down to bed, my evening is all about Reagan. We play together, watch Blue’s Clues; there’s bath time and books. After that, I have an hour to eat dinner with Danny and relax before it’s time for bed. Never mind my exploding e-mail in-box or the fact that I haven’t posted to my blog in over a week. It is rare that I actually make it to bed by 10:00 p.m. Okay. Never. Come Friday, I am barely conscious. I’m TGIF’ing like never before! The weekends are all about family and squeezing in as much of my freelance work as I can before Monday rolls around again. Quicker than I’d like.

So, while I have put in more than 25 years of my life working in some capacity (in my 20’s I even managed to hold down three jobs at once) nothing has prepared me for the pace of balancing a full-time career and family at the same time without losing my mind. Unless you’re fortunate enough to have family near, can afford help, or have a domestically inclined husband, chances are, there is still a lot left to do when returning home from work and on the weekends as there is in my house. I am heartened by the fact that this is only a temporary situation for us, and thankful for the perspective it has given us for when we return to our “traditional” roles.

Mr. Mom Loses His Training Wheels

It has been six months since I shifted gears from stay-at-home mom to working mom. The transition hasn’t been an easy one, and it just got a little harder. On Friday I started a full-time contract position with Starz Entertainment. This means, Danny is at home full-time with Reagan. Alone. Without a lifeline.

Up until Friday I had been working from home, which was easier for everyone, but me. While I love being able to spend time with my little girl any time I want, it is also extremely unproductive to be so accessible at all times for mommy duty while trying to concentrate on your work. Yesterday, Danny actually noted how much he took my presence for granted and probably abused it a little too much. Nice to hear. Since secretly I had been praying I would get the chance to show him just that. Not that I wanted to stick it to him, but wouldn’t it be nice for him to appreciate how much work being a stay-at-home parent on your own really is? He also remarked how this would be helpful for him to not depend on me so much should I return to working from home. God definitely answers prayers!

I couldn’t help from smiling yesterday when I got a 5pm phone call from Danny asking if I were on my way home yet. I don’t get off work until 6pm. Reagan was crying in the background and Danny was speaking very slowly and deliberately as he expressed his consternation at being unable to calm our toddler in the midst of one of her standard afternoon meltdowns. Usually, I would be there to console Reagan and make things all better. This time, all I could offer him was to pick up a 6-pack of his favorite beer on my way home and pray that by the time I got there, he wouldn’t need it any longer. Lucky for him, I never had to make that stop. And if I had, I’m not sure I would’ve shared anyway.

Photo by Kate at Yr Own Risk, via Flickr

Cure Your Soap-Addiction with Blogs

My list of the best-written mommy blogs for the newly-initiated blog reader trying to break their soap-opera addiction.

I Cheated on My Daughter

I’ve been toying with writing this post for days now. Not sure if I was comfortable exposing myself to the judgment that this topic brings with it. Fear of judgment seems to be a common theme in motherhood (see prior post here) and one that I’ve found myself embracing more and more since beginning this blog. So, here goes…

When my husband decided to fly home to New Orleans to visit his ailing grandmother this week, we were forced to make another decision. I could either stop working for the week (and longer if necessary) or take Reagan to a drop-in day care. I admit, my current clients would’ve understood if I needed to take a week off.

I chose day care.

Even though this would be a temporary solution, and only for three, half-days in the end, I felt tremendous guilt for choosing it at all. Not only does it go against my values, but also our pocketbook. However, there is this other part of me that is excited about the new career I’ve been building in social media marketing and the one thing that I know doesn’t bode well for it is “going dark” for any length of time. In addition, I still have graphic design clients and was expecting a big job with a quick turn-around to be landing on my desk any day. The last thing I wanted to do was be behind the eight-ball or have to turn down the job when bill-paying is another value of mine. It felt like cheating on Reagan to want to work so badly.

Fortunately, we have been blessed with a very outgoing, fearless, little fireball who craves social interaction with other height and diction-challenged, crumb-crunchers as an only child. One of her first words was “party.” Seeing my daughter’s so obvious enjoyment three hours per week at the pre-school she now attends and at the church day care center did make my decision a little easier. She has never cried nor looked back in fear when we drop her off at either. Instead, she barely acknowledges us as she runs off to make her newest BFF and explore the colorful assortment of tired, bacteria-bathed toys. Just as she did this week at day care. When I came to pick her up before nap time each day, she would practically try to claw her way back into the mosh pit, cigarette lighter blazing. It does make me wonder if she isn’t trying to tell me something… “C’mon Mom! Stop breathin’ down my neck all day and lemme’ hang with my peeps! Jeeesh.”

As comfortable as Reagan seemed to be with the whole arrangement, I wasn’t so. The first morning after I dropped her off, I was feeling as guilty as Gov. Sanford Twittering about the wildlife I encountered while hiking the Appalachian Trail. But, by day three, after seeing positive changes in Reagan’s mood and cooperativeness at home, I was feeling better about my decision. Knowing that while I worked, Reagan was getting structure, play time, activities and games while gaining developmental and social skills began to have greater value to me. And, NO TV! My guilt began to lessen a bit and surprising even myself, I decided to share my secret with all of you!

The truth is, we’ve been discussing part-time day care for Reagan for some time. I have been a big hold-out on this. This week gave me the opportunity to not only see how she would handle it, but more so how I would handle it. As Danny will soon be needing to begin intensive studying, simulator training and cockpit time in the jump seat on Frontier flights to renew his pilot’s license, I’ll need to continue to work until he is fully re-instated. Even sooner still is the possibility he may be able to be re-trained in a new career with the Air Force Reserves since they declared him undeployable with his C-130 unit after his chemo treatment damaged his heart. So, we may soon be in search of the best day care option for Reagan. It is something I never expected I’d be doing, and yet, here I am, possibly deciding who will be watching my kid instead of me.

Okay. You can judge me now. Please share all judgments below. 😛

Forget Plan B. What’s Your Plan C?

Was planning on posting something light-hearted before Danny got off the phone and told me of the latest dirt being sifted through the airline rumor-mill. For a short while there, I thought we were about to have to come up with a Plan C. We don’t have a Plan C. Do you? I have no idea what Plan C would look like… I pictured us moving AGAIN, for what would be the SIXTH time in the SEVEN years we’ve been married, and God help me if I have to move again I want it to be into my final resting place. Whether that be retirement or death. I will welcome either before another year of living out of boxes, making new friends and learning where the Walmart and Walgreens are in a whole new maze of streets and strip malls. I imagined myself still working late nights at my computer, feeding my family frozen dinners because I still don’t have time to cook, and Reagan growing up a bored and brooding latchkey kid the way I did. We promised ourselves we would do better than that. It’s why we waited so long to HAVE a kid. I saw Danny finally giving up his aviation dreams because now as a father, there just is no time to be starting over again at the bottom. No time for this up and down industry with no guarantees. What would he do? Unless they’re hiring people to find their way to the bottom of a Doritos bag while in a reclined position, I’m pretty sure he’d be getting trained in a new career. At 40.

So then I did what any other anxious, dread-filled Negative Nancy would do. I searched Twitter. There must be something out there to fuel my fire, confirm my fears and cause me not to sleep at night! And all I found was that Frontier Airlines had just hired an online public relations firm three days ago. Hmmmm. That’s an odd move for an airline being rumored to be bought out. I also texted a friend whose husband works for the airline being rumored to buy out Frontier. I was operating in semi-full, okay, full panic mode! I know better! Not only have I been married to a pilot for seven years, but I used to work for an airline myself before we were married. It’s been long enough to know, rumors are always brewing among airline employees because everyone in this industry is operating from a position of FEAR! FEAR, FEAR, FEAR! And that’s what I was doing. So, while I was talking to my people, Danny was talking to his. I was assured that this was just a rumor, one to be ignored like so many before it. And Danny was basically told the same thing and even given some encouraging news about the growth of the company. We both can’t believe we let this rumor be the one that made our hearts race. In any case, there is going to be a public announcement soon. That’s when it will be safe to believe what we hear.

While we wait on the news of the company’s future, this turned out to be an excellent exercise for me. It got me thinking about what we would do should the other shoe drop. I’m thinking this is why there are so many people in the position they’re in now in this dismal economy. It’s not because they didn’t have a Plan B, it’s because they soon discovered they needed to have a Plan C. And by then, it was too late.

What’s your Plan B? Plan C?

Jon and Kate’s Final Curtain Call?

Yeah, I watched. But, I haven’t gone so far as to read any of the tabloids. I don’t know what the mystery woman looks like and I don’t care. What intrigued me as I watched the 5th season opener of Jon & Kate Plus 8 was how I could in an “Off-Broadway sense,” empathize with Kate, a woman who makes me cringe every time I see part of myself in her “Type-A Mom” personality. Intrigued, not because my husband has gone off and done something untoward (at least not in public) for which I can never forgive him (get over yourself, Kate), but because of the underlying role reversal challenges that the two of them hinted at, in between all of the innuendo of an alleged affair. Has anyone else caught on to this?

She’s now the breadwinner while he stays home with the kids and resents her for being away while wishing she’d stay away at the same time — loosely translated from Jon. Anyone else experiencing something similar who doesn’t also have eight kids, full-time staff and a major prime-time hit television show? Direct quote from my husband: “Men just weren’t made to do this.”

Now, before anyone takes offense to this, of course there are some terrific stay-at-home Dads out there who can run circles around many of us Moms. But, please, let’s be real. Most Dads when put to the test aren’t going to last long at cleaning up after pre-schooler playdates, preparing three square meals a day, activity schedules, bath-time and just the general noise level of it all. Then there’s the housekeeping, grocery shopping, cooking, Dr. appointments and errand-running. Did I mention laundry? Now, most likely Jon doesn’t do much of this by himself; did I mention the full-time staff? But, he is used to being the provider, not the caregiver. To me, it was detectable throughout the interview that Jon just wasn’t comfortable staying home while Kate traveled earning a paycheck on her book tour. He quit his job to stay home with the kids, because “Kate can write and he can’t.” Ergo, if he could provide in that way, he would choose that role. Don’t underestimate the sense of pride and accomplishment being the provider carries with it, most especially for men.

The challenge for Kate, is to not be overly critical of the job Jon is doing when she returns home. And, if you’ve ever watched the show, you can just imagine how this is playing out. Kate has decidedly defined for all of America what a “hen-pecked husband” truly looks like up close and in his own natural habitat. While I pray that my husband would never describe himself as a member of the hen house, I empathize with Kate’s challenge. I find myself biting my tongue a whole heck of a lot more than Danny probably realizes, because I know he really is doing the best job that he can do. While we haven’t chosen our new roles, the parts we play are similar to those of Jon and Kate in that they require perspective on what is important as a family, not on who does what.

Has Jon finally had enough? Many of us have wondered when Jon’s breaking point would be reached. Is it possible that now that Kate is no longer in charge of her castle, the scrutiny she inflicts on Jon combined with a general distaste for the life he gave up for her has upset that delicate balance they’ve maintained through four seasons of TV-dom? It was clear at the end of last season, Jon was no longer on board with a public life. Has he made his final stand? I hope that family wins out on this one. In the best interest of those eight precious young hearts, I pray that the curtain is never called on this marriage.

Can a Makeover Change the Course of Your Life?

I have always loved watching makeover shows on TV and will even pause and rewind to see the amazing transformations over and over again. The results are often shocking. How different someone can look with just a new haircut and the right pair of jeans. Watching tired housewives and over-worked moms go from ratty and war-torn to flirty and fabulous in the blink of an eye makes for good TV, but what happens afterward? Do they continue to bleach their hair blonde and wear stockings and high heels instead of tube socks and Birkenstocks? Do they then leave their husbands (who are usually shown sitting in the audience with their jaws in their laps) and follow their dreams of opening a boutique or working on Wall Street? Or, do things return to normal and they are left with just the memory of their potential. I have been given the opportunity to find out first-hand what happens next after winning a “Mom Makeover” from Colorado Parent Magazine. While my outward transformation may not be as dramatic as those on TV, what happened on the inside was something I never expected.

I wrote my entry for the contest an hour before the midnight deadline: in 100 words or less, why I deserve a “Mom Makeover.” Even though it’s quite characteristic of me to push myself up until the last minute, I honestly had had a very busy week including my daughter’s 2nd birthday party the day before. But, I never miss a deadline, and I wasn’t going to miss this one either. Something told me this could be just what I needed to get me over the hump — the hump of depression that had plagued me since my husband became ill exactly one year before. We had just learned that after 18 years of service, Danny would not be able to return to reserve duty as an aircrew member with the Air Force for five years, and was possibly going to be made to retire. We knew that he couldn’t go back to work as a pilot for Frontier Airlines for another year either. I needed to go back to work. I was angry at the injustice of it all and unprepared to leave my daughter. There was an uncanny timeliness to everything that compelled me to enter. Since then, I have often referred to it as a “God-thing.”

From the day I got the call that I had won, I could feel God smiling at me, telling me it’s all going to be okay, and here is a sign that I’m here. Danny and I were both choked up by the news because to us, it wasn’t just a contest, winning represented a change of luck. It felt like we had both won. I had no idea how much of an impact a makeover could have on my life, beginning and ending with “my stuff.”

Everyone has stuff; stuff in their attic, stuff in their closet, stuff in their head. Cleaning out and organizing that stuff allows room to function; at home and in life. The first part of my prize arrived in the form of a cute, little fireball named Liz Canavan of Alchemy of Order. Liz appeared at my door one day unexpectedly because we had gotten the dates mixed up for our first meeting. She had driven such a long way and was so excited and full of enthusiasm that I could never have turned her away. Liz got to see me and my house in our typical state of disarray. Probably a good thing because she could better evaluate where I needed the most help without me trying to hide my issues. To my amazement, Liz put together a team of organizers to clean out the clutter in my laundry/utility room, kitchen and office/playroom all in just four hours! It was actually a fun afternoon made more fun by the fact that this is actually what these women love to do. It is their passion and it showed. When they were done, I felt as if a huge burden had been lifted from me. Danny and I were so inspired, we finished several other incomplete projects around our house that day and in the days that followed. Liz removed the “stuff” from my house and also from my head that was clouding my focus on the larger task at hand: finding a job.

Getting past “my stuff” became the next hurdle, and that’s where motherhood and career guru, Gretchen Reid of Motherhood Transitions, came in. In addition to re-working my resume, Gretchen helped me to identify the negative talk in my head that can block possible positive events from occurring. I was allowing my own “mom-guilt” about no longer being a full-time mom for my daughter and my fear of a jobless economy among other things, steer me into a self-perpetuating anger and frustration at my situation. She also helped me to see what is possible from this experience instead of dwelling on what was supposed to be. Together we assessed my professional strengths and she opened my eyes to new possibilities in a career path. A career that I had so much as thrown by the wasteside was beginning to be revived and I was suddenly excited about it again. I have since become a fervent student of social media marketing and am working towards the goal of combining my writing, design, advertising and marketing skills with the new media to offer a complete marketing solution to clients.

Finally, it was time for the fun part: my day of pampering. And what fun it was! I spent the day at Aspen Grove, much of the time accompanied by the Assistant Editor of CO Parent, Courtney McDonough who was a delight to be with and an even more engaging lunch date! We began at the elegant Avalon Salon and Spa where my hairstylist, René discussed different hair styles and color with me and helped me to decide upon one that would best suit my lifestyle. We went with something subtle and easy to maintain. I know, drama would’ve been more fun, but I decided to leave the drama out of this part of my life! René did an excellent job at delivering exactly what I needed. After that, I spent an hour with Erin who gave me a great day look in makeup as well as tips and techniques for applying my own. All said and done — fabulous! Off to Ann Taylor where Julie and Denise helped me to decide the best look and fit for me from so many beautiful options, it was tough to narrow it down. I really had them running. I wanted to try everything! I absolutely love my new outfit which, as of this writing, I’m still saving for my first interview. I may have to break down and wear it on what has become, a very infrequent date night. We’ll see which happens first. Are you reading this, Danny? By the time “the new me” was headed home, I was realizing how way overdue it was for me to feel this good about myself again. The “stuff” that tells me to put myself last and that appearance no longer matters was being busted up. While I definitely still wrestle with this, and more days than not look like I’ve just rolled out of bed at four in the afternoon, it has been mentally noted. I am an emerging butterfly fighting my way out of my chrysalis.

So, can a makeover change the course of your life? If not changed, it has at least reset the coordinates of mine to waters unknown. I’m only just beginning my journey and there’s a new captain in charge.

Have you considered giving yourself a makeover? Or, have you had a makeover of a different kind that has changed you?