Begin with Love

The most basic question known to man. The never-ending journey of self-discovery seems so cliche at this point. But yet here I am, rolling my eyes, as I find myself face to face with this question time and time again.

This question comes with its own hierarchy of responses. Lowest level: Who am I in relation to others? Well, I’m a daughter, sister, niece, granddaughter, best friend, roommate, and teacher. The next level up: Who am I in relation to the world? I’m a reader, baker, poet, football watcher, walker (not runner!), and water lover. Another step up: Who am I in relation to things bigger than myself? I’m a Christian who believes in spirituality over religion, who does her best to walk like Jesus. I’m an Administrative Manager for a local restaurant owned by esteemed football players. I’m a teacher. This appears twice due to its relevance in both categories of this pyramid of self.

The tip of this pyramid is this: Who am I in relation to my soul? These are the pieces of me that trickle down into the rest of the levels. I am a worrier. I am a romantic. I am sensitive. I am fiercely independent. I am an introvert who can turn it on for crowds. I am altogether too forgiving of the wrong people while too hard-hearted towards those deserving of forgiveness. I purposely work myself to the brink of burnout, so I don’t think or feel too deeply. This is why I am here.

My best friend and personal angel, Kendalyn, told me in a Marco Polo (one of our preferred forms of communication) that I should write this summer. This comment came after a particularly horrific break-up that, in my attempt to not feel things, left me more than numb. For a moment, I felt anger, then annoyance, when she said this, because, as usual, she told me what my soul needed to hear rather than what I wanted. She called out the piece of me that has been missing for a few years now. When Kendalyn speaks to my heart, I can’t help but listen.

The goal of this blog is to answer this culminating question. I might do so through recipes, poems, reflections, book reviews, day-in-the-life replays, playlists, and who knows what else. I have no intentions for views, only for self-discovery. Who knows what else I might find along the way.