Who is Normal?

I went to a conference last September; the absolute best kind (for me) filled with creative, like-minded women who encouraged and commiserated as needed. While we all had a common passion, we all had entirely different lives that had led us to this point. I used to feel that my normal was caring for a young child and creating a happy and safe family, but, as I have gotten older, my life has changed and my expectations have now expanded. My normal, now, also includes a business and a constant curiosity about where I am going next and how I can get there. Sometimes I spend my time trying to mush them all together, hoping for some type of cohesion, my own quietly, composed muddle.

Like most people, in the wee small hours I am afraid of what "could" happen. I counter this, on a good day,  with thinking positive, moving ahead and stay involved in the lives of friends and family. On a bad day, I may just sit and feel sad or, be distracted, wandering around as I wait for bedtime, knowing I can crawl into bed and wish it all away until the morning. Everything is better after a good nights sleep. Over time I have learned to follow my instincts and nurture what I need to make me a happier person, day by day.

As I talked to the people at the conference, I was struck by how different our stories were. No-one gets a free pass; regardless of what they do, or try to do, we all have struggles and ways that we learn to cope with our daily challenges. Every person that I spoke to had a wonderful part inside of them that spoke of their personal success, a light that outlined a piece of who they really were, but wasn't always in full view of the  person holding it.

We all have lights that speak of who we are, but sometimes it's difficult to acknowledge the success. To say we are normal, is easy and dismissive, often self-deprecating, a quality that can be praised in the current world of egos and reality divas. But who we are inside, what is normal for us, should be celebrated.We are always more than we think, it just sometimes takes another person to help us realize that. Listen to others, believe what they say and tell them what you see in them. Find the light inside yourself and don't let it go out.