I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself yet.
I’m Melissa. Widow. Mother of five children. I work in higher education and the legal profession. My standard introduction.
These labels simply relay, in the most efficient manner, my marital status, whether I’ve had children and how many, and what I do for work.
There’s so much more to me though.
I’ve always loved the beauty of a falling leaf, a snow covered mountain, or the sound of rain on the rooftop.
You see, I’m more than a widow. I’m more than what I do for a living, and I’m more than a mother.
I recently chatted with a friend at the base of a beautiful piece of rock this weekend, talking about everything from siblings to human trafficking to my current reading list.
As we were talking, I spoke of things I rarely talk about, mainly because my days consist of everything but. Hit the snooze on my alarm a few times, shuttle five kids to four different schools, go to work, after-school pick up routine, homework, dinner, bedtime, and staying up way past my bedtime to savor the few minutes of peace I have before I fall asleep.
Our conversation reminded me that beneath all of that, I am still just me. The same Melissa that I used to be so long ago.
I still love to read. I still love to write. I still love to crochet, drink iced tea, indulge in the salacious falsity of celebrity gossip, laugh until my stomach hurts, and breathe in crisp outdoor air.
I enjoy time alone yet crave meaningful interaction. I love my personal space yet desire the human touch. I need independence yet wish I had someone to tell that traffic is terrible and I will be home later than expected.
In the dark days after my husband passed I forgot everything about me except one thing: I am a widow.
So many are. Yet we are so much more than the broken half of better whole. It’s taken me awhile to remember who I was. Who I am. And who I want to be.
Yet I do know this – underneath every label I carry, I am just Melissa. You are just you.
And what a beautiful you, you are. đź’™
#laughterafterdeath #lookingintherearviewmirror #wanderingwidow #itsme #lifebeginsnow