It is about this time last year that I began an attempt to focus my energy and creativity on projects outside the box of mommydom. To track my new efforts I decided to start a little blog…not thinking it would amount to too much, just a little outlet to keep from becoming the woman who shows up at school with lipstick on her forehead. But then things happened…with a little help. Well… here it is…where I was a year ago…the beginnings of the organicneedle…the seedling stage.

December 28, 2007
Starting A Blog
This blog is one of hopefully many steps I will be taking to regain, or at least incorporate a little, an adult existence. I have spent the past 41/2 years home, raising my two boys. I don’t feel the need at the moment to go on and on about the endless joys of motherhood -which there are many. My focus here is on finding a life beyond- perhaps regaining some of the old and definitely adding some new. Pre-babies I was a NYC teacher. Although I loved teaching, my youngest is only 18 months and I have no desire to ship him off to daycare yet. So going back to my old life, old identity, even many of my old friends, isn’t fully possible. But there still has to be something that fits, that uses an adult brain without sacrificing the priority of child raising. I find my lack of intellectual stimulation is causing me to be bored with many things I previously enjoyed. I feel myself less interested in the same old mom conversations. Less sure of who I am and what I want to say or do in life. I have always been a rather focussed, success driven person. After being home for a few years I find myself sitting on several side projects, two of which are small businesses well into the planning phases, without the motivation to complete anything. I feel like I have been mentally sidelined and I’m not quite sure how exactly to get back into the game- or which game I even want to play. I know I am not the first woman to feel herself slipping away into the cloak of motherhood, nor will I be the last. It gets even the best of us. My hope that is if I have a place to report to, bounce ideas off of, I will keep my quest to remain a whole person a priority and not let it slip down the list of things to do below the laundry.
Posted by organicneedle at 8:00 PM

Here’s one of the key things that happened that I must share with you…a little lesson in encouragement. It was Burbanmom who found my little pee-on of a blog and encouraged me every step of the way to keep going…my own needle-wielding cheerleader. If I had gone unheard would I have persevered? I’m not sure I would have. See, in the beginning, I didn’t tell anyone of my bizarre ideas about sewing…and bags. Just not what my crew does…a little too homespun…unsafe…weird. But she heard and took the time to respond, really respond,…and I will always be in her debt. An encouraging word is sometimes all someone needs to make a really important step…or stitch. So in the incoming year remember not to be stingy with those positive words…they are much more powerful than you can imagine.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 29th, 2008 at 8:49 pm and is filed under blogtastic, organicneedle, organicneedle bags. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.