The Power of Words

"Wanna be study partners?" She asked. And so began my lifelong friendship sistership with my best friend, Tara in Freshman math class.

"There's this guy at the company I just interviewed at; he's PERFECT for you!" she practically squealed into the phone the summer after graduation. She had just been hired by my future husband at a telemarketing firm. I went to the company and he hired me, too.


"Hey, look in my pocket," Years later, after falling heavily into love and moving in together, he poked me in the arm as he kneeled before me during my nap on the couch. Inside the pocket was the beautiful engagement ring he'd been too excited to keep hidden any longer.

"You know, I do want to have a baby, too..." He admitted after a negative pregnancy test caused me to realize that I didn't WANT it to be negative. And so we did. 3 times.

"I'm sorry, but you'll need to find another daycare provider right away," is what I heard from our second babysitter in the first 15 months of my eldest's life. My reaction to this news was to throw a tear-stained budget at my husband to prove that we could make the SAHM dream work out.

"Our new house has really fast internet! You're going to love it!" Patrick practically shouted this news from the rooftops but I wasn't that interested. I mean, so what? The internet? Meh. How big of a deal was it to me, anyway?*

"A blog about motherhood? What IS this? Oh man. This is cool! I WANT TO DO THIS, TOO!" Me, circa 2006 on the computer with the much faster internet speed.

"I am so happy to meet you, Ann! I love your blog!" said by me to Ann Imig at BlogHer11 in San Diego. We got to hang out for a while and she is just as funny in person as she is on her blog.

"I think someone in Chicago should host this and I could be their assistant. I'm good at being a right hand. The left one, notsomuch. But I'm a good righty. Anyone? Chicago? Anyone????" My October 13 Facebook entry in response to Ann's call for new city applications to host Listen To Your Mother in 2012.

"Are you sitting down?** I just got the email from Ann saying that we were chosen to host the Chicago LTYM show!" Phone call from Melisa on November 9th, 2011 after we received notification that we were selected to be the co-producers/directors. My jaw nearly hit the floor but I didn't really realize then what would be happening to me.

Every moment in Life is meaningful. Without any of the above statements, I would not have found myself sitting at Webster's Wine Bar on Sunday night, surrounded by 7 of the 16 amazing people from the cast of our first LTYM show in Chicago. I would have never formed the relationships that now feel so very much like Family. The opportunity to listen to Megan and Bobby perform their moving piece would never have arisen and I wouldn't have been able to be inspired by them; by all of the speakers.

Never think that your words aren't important.

They are jewels; each and every one of them. Spoken or written; Shouted or whispered. Not every precious stone will be mounted in gold and platinum, but they are valuable and unique and may just lead you to your next great adventure.


*hahahahahahaha!!!


**Melisa said this phrase to me about 637 times during the course of our show. AT LEAST.

FYI, I have a giveaway for 4 tickets to Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio. If you've never been, Cedar Point is one of the best amusement parks in the US! Enter today!