You’re here! And so am I.

Oh hello!  I am ecstatic that you are reading this!  A blog, written by me?  Wow.  This is a dream come true.  And to be honest, if you are not part of my close friends and family and you are reading this, it’s even more of a dream come true.  (because, let’s be real…..they already love me.  I am the luckiest!)  

I have felt drawn to writing and to putting words down on a page since I was a young kid.  And honestly writing helped me sustain my sanity throughout my teenage and young adult years. Throwback to my 16 year old self, holed up in a tiny tree house (3 plywood boards nailed together) in my backyard, listening to the little creek rush by, watching ants climb up and down the bark, with my little journal and a pen trying to just figure life out. (I see you, babe.) Writing creates clarity for me.  It’s a way for me to understand myself better, a tangible way to get my spinning thoughts out of my brain so that I can have a look at them, like spinning fluffy wool into skeins of thread.  And more than that, writing is cathartic.  It’s a magical way to heal and change, like salve on a wound or spurts of sparkle from a wizard’s wand. Sharing these words with anyone, and specifically with you, is something that has been calling to my soul for literally years.  

This blog and what I write here, will be similar to my past musings on paper.  A release, a sigh, an aha, an opening.  A way to be real and connect with myself.  A way to teach, but mostly to learn.  The reality is that I need to get these words out into the sunlight where they can be seen so that they don’t stay in the dark threatening to suffocate me. 

So, here I am.  I will be here every other week for the foreseeable future, writing, sharing, healing, and growing.  And so if you are here reading this right now, hello there and welcome.

A little about me…….I am just a normal-ish 47 year old woman going through this crazy place called life.  The purpose of this blog is two fold. First and foremost, I want to share my life experiences with you because I have come to the realization that it’s time to tell my own story.  If you know me personally, you know that my life, like each of yours, is unique.  As with all of us at this point in our lives, I have been through…..well, some major shit.  To name a few things I have experienced, here’s a taste of what I might share:  childhood trauma, my own mental disorders and my experience watching others in my family struggle with their own, having babies, being a career driven woman, divorce, major faith crisis, dating in my 40s, finding love again, menopause, becoming an empty-nester (sort of), hurt, doubt, healing, love, lions, tigers and bears Oh My!  Sound relatable?  I bet.

Listen, I’ve been through some rough times yet still those things have all been so small compared to the truly beautiful life that I have created and that just EXISTS.  

Sounds corny?  To some, I am certain it will.  But, figuring out how to heal, to see beauty even through hardship, is a skill that I have developed.  People ask me all the time what my secret is.  (Ha!  Still trying to figure that one out.)  Don’t get me wrong, though. This isn’t toxic positivity bullshit.  Healing over and over again is a strength that I have cultivated in myself.  I have this knack in accepting what is happening to me, centering myself, honoring my feelings, and then being able to work through the healing piece of it with as much grace as I can muster.  (no matter how messy, or unbearable it is) I guess my view in life has always come with a little pep-talk cheerleader in the background urging me to see things from a new perspective, heal with purpose, and offer myself compassion and patience.  

I know that we don’t all have that little cheerleader in our brain.  That’s ok.  Maybe you don’t need her.  But, I do.  She’s like a crystal ball of clarity and peace.  And now I use this strength in my coaching practice as I work with women in midlife.  I listen, and love, and teach others how to navigate their lives with renewed clarity and peace.

My coaching mission is to be real about what the hell is happening for women in their 40s and 50s…..because well, there’s just so much.  So, in addition to sharing my own story, these blog pages will be filled with exploration about all things we are experiencing in midlife.  Like what the actual fuck is going on here? And what are some things we can do about it?  Let’s discuss.  Let’s get it out into the open and acknowledge what we are experiencing.  Let’s get real.

In addition to all of that (as if it weren’t enough to keep me busy!), I will be discussing some specifics about my own faith crisis and how I have healed and learned to move forward with a new sense of purpose.  I am passionate about connecting with other women who have been through the experience of leaving high demand religion.  It is such a uniquely beautiful and terrifying experience that is hard to understand unless you have been through it yourself…..more to come on this subject in the future for sure.

While I can’t make any promises that by reading this you will feel better, I will promise you that if nothing else, you will find honesty.  I will share with you my personal life as well as parts of my coaching curriculum that I have seen help many other women.  The main pillars of that coaching curriculum are:  how to empower yourself through self discovery and how to add more mindfulness to your life.  Realistically.  In the real world.  

So, let’s go!  I am ready.  I hope that through the process of turning wool into thread on the page, my story will weave its way into your heart and help you in some way.  Because, even as unique as each of us is, there are strands of similarity and familiarity woven through all of our lives that create connection.  This is how we empower ourselves and become the truest, most authentic versions of who we are.  This is how we know we are not ever alone.

If this feels like it is relevant to you, I hope you will join me and come back every other week to read it.  Ask questions, create a community, find support, laughs, realness, authenticity, and love.  If what I write about here isn’t for you or feels off – by all means, leave it.  No harm, no foul.  Listen to what you need and honor that.  It’s like I tell my clients; take what resonates and leave what doesn’t.  This life is never one size fits all EVER.  And that’s what’s so beautiful about it.  It is a wild, crazy, precious gift and I am honored to share it with you in some small way. 

Hoping to see you here very soon,

Summer Brooke