I am so grateful to be collaborating with you on this platform where we can come to connect, reflect and inspire strength in others through our journey along the (sometimes bumpy) trail of parenthood. I will start by saying this about myself and my philosophies; there are things I am and there are things I am not. I am not, and do not hold, any authority on parenting topics. I do not claim, in any way shape or form, to “do it all.” I am a person who thrives on deep personal connections and I find great joy in being a catalyst for others’ connecting as well.  

In a recent strength finding exercise, my cards revealed that my “superpowers” lie in creative thinking and experimentation. This was not entirely a surprise, as my favorite courses through my lifetime have included creative writing, art and interior design. Experimentation, for me, however, has been an evolving trait both as a parent and as a working professional.

My general sentiment on parenting is that raising children is quite honestly, one giant experiment. What does a successful experiment look like though? … how is it defined? Is it holding a prestigious title or graduating first in their class? Maybe. However, when I think of what I will be most proud of, I imagine that our son has grown up to be a kind, hard-working, independent and fun-loving man whom others look to for strength. In our house, we believe that modeling these behaviors ourselves and teaching important lessons through storytelling will be two of the successful strategies we deploy.

Reflecting forward, I whole heartedly believe that we, as parents, have just as much to learn from each other as our children have to learn from us. Thus, The Third Piggie. I’ll close with a quote by author Daniel Pink in hopes that it may inspire you to share your story, “The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind; artists, inventors, storytellers – creative and holistic ‘right brain’ thinkers.”