I came across a quote quite a few years ago that has stuck in my mind since then:
"Share a happy memory. Also share the difficult times that have helped you become stronger and wiser. When shared, the value of these experiences multiplies." -Steve Brunkhorst
That's really what it's about. I was once a brand new mother with a darling little baby boy and a beautiful life but secretly suffering from debilitating anxiety/depression. I wished so badly that there were women out there who understood or someone that would have said to me, "Hey, I struggled too. You're not alone." But nobody told me that when I was in the midst of it. When I talked to friends about it years later, they mentioned how they had struggled all those years before, and I was astonished that we had all done so in such silence and secrecy. In such shame. I decided then to never let another new mother within my reach suffer alone. If I can multiply the value of my experiences simply by sharing the good, bad, and in-between days with you, I'm going to take that leap and hope that somebody somewhere might gain something from it. Borrowing words from Cristen Rodgers, I'm going to "gather up [my] stumbling stones and build a bridge for someone else."
There is so much goodness and beauty in those growth opportunities that I can't help but thank God for the privilege that it is to be here making my way through the day-to-day routine. Without the mountains I've climbed, I wouldn't have this view. And it's such a remarkably breathtaking view that I can't keep it all to myself. I want you to see it too.
