The Nine of Mine

From being born in the ninth month to far less significant occurrences, the number 9 has followed me around my entire life. I often use it now as my “lucky number,” and I think I can use a little luck here. I have always felt a calling to write, but I wasn’t sure what to write or where to start. I’m not even sure this is the right choice, but I’ve ignored the call for 35ish years. Maybe if I write about it, I can fumble my way to whatever it is I’m being pulled toward. I wrote my first story when I was five years old. It wasn’t much, as you can expect, but it progressed from there. I’ve written all kinds of things – short stories, poetry, essays, research, started a novel (or five), and so on. As of the time of this writing, I’ve shared very little with others. I think this is because I’m not really sure people will care about what I have to say or the stories spilling from my random thoughts.

I believe this blog will be a lot of random things. To understand what you can probably expect, maybe I should explain myself. I am a Christian and a single mom of three. My oldest son died just shy of 3 weeks old due to a rare genetic disorder. There will likely be more about that if I can muster the nerve to continue this writing journey. I have a daughter who will turn 17 in a couple of weeks and a son who will turn 15 ten days after his sister’s birthday. There is bound to be a ton about them because my primary job is motherhood. Plus, the teenage years provide a lot of…[cough] content. I expect to have a lot to say about faith, family, parenting, and related topics.

I have worked in the mental health field for over 18 years. I started as a case manager and moved up in the same company, growing through various positions. Currently, I train all incoming employees of all roles on our electronic healthcare record and teach mental health employees various trainings they need for their positions. I have a bachelor’s in psychology. When I was in college, many people said those who pursue a degree in psychology are looking to fix themselves so they can help others to do the same. I have used my own experiences to help relate to the people I’ve served over the years. I really think this is the primary reason I am here. I am not involved in direct care anymore, and I hope that what I share brings someone laughter who hasn’t smiled in awhile, peace to someone in turmoil, or a connection to someone who feels alone. I always said God allowed me to go through things, and sometimes He was absolutely carrying me through them, so that I can help others. I was not really sure where to mention my divorce specifically, but after about 5 seconds of thought, the mental health blurb is where it belongs. We can touch on divorce, custody, single life, and dating because all of those things have a notable impact on our mental health. Humor is one of my coping mechanisms, so I’ll do my best to keep some of it light. I have a significant tie to trauma survivors, being one myself, so maybe we will touch on the heavy stuff now and then.

I am a wannabe DIY-er. I bought my house almost 3 years ago, and there are so many things I’d like to do. That is why you will occasionally see some things that I am doing on the side to help earn a little extra money. I did not really have anyone to teach me about building and tools so it should be fun watching me learn how to do all the things I want to do and teach myself how to do them. I’m also a crafty person, at times, so maybe I’ll share some of that, too.

I am an introvert, so there will be some sharing on my experiences with my struggles with socializing and my dealings with people. When it comes to that part of my life, you can expect some humor or my attempts at humor anyway. I find myself in some interesting situations. One of my close friends, also a coworker, and I used to say we would write a book together titled, “What I Really Wanted to Say.” That might be a little fun for the readers if I ever get any. Maybe there will be something you can laugh at, relate to, or just simply enjoy. The goal is really to have something for everyone.

Welcome to the nine of mine where I’ll cover a little bit of it all – faith, family, friends, kids, mental health, trauma, DIY/crafts, being an introvert in a social world, and random topics as they present themselves. As I wrote this final part, all I can hear is Forrest Gump saying, “You never know what you’re gonna get.”