So I just wrote a pretty good blog, I won't lie. It was about goals and spring time and all that...stuff. I think it's time to change the tune a little bit. I love being able to inspire all of you but I thought I'd share with you who inspires me. I get the question "Cara, how do you do it? How do you keep so uplifted all the time?" Really thinking about this I realized that my biggest source of inspiration and strength comes from my family.
My family is probably the greatest. Yeah, we have our squables but what family doesn't? Let me start with the two who raised me and my sister. My mom and dad instilled in a us a sense of worth, a sense of pride and personal strength. They never pointed out our weaknesses, rather brought out our strengths and encouraged us to push our limits, no matter what it was!
My parents believed that my sister and I could do whatever we wanted and be whatever we believed. I remember so many conversations with my mom discussing what my future held. At one point I was determined to be a children's book author. Another time I was going to be an astronomer because we sat for hours outside looking at the constellations. My mom is the type of woman who can be so sweet and the kindest woman EVER. But if you cross her (like running in the halls at church...oh boy!) then BOOM....that high school English teacher came out like a cat pouncing. It was awesome! I was embarrased at the time, but now I find myself yelling "GENTLEMEN, WALK" when I'm out somewhere! (And yeah, I so got the tone down!)
My Dad. Some would classify me as a Daddy's girl and they are probably right. We spent our summers going to see the MN Twins, see movies, going to Valley Fair, hell we even made Grocery shopping an adventure (you should have seen the looks we got going through the frozen sections!) When I was sick, nothing made me feel better than a daddy hug. Even though he was a man, he taught me what it meant to be a strong female. He coached women's basketball, took me to Lynx games, introduced me to women in politics. He wanted me to grow up and knowing that whether it was being a soldier in the military or a stay at home mom, it was because it was my choice to do so, not because society said I had to live a certain way.
Finally, my sister. Okay, so when we were growing up we didn't get along...at all. I don't think you've met two people more different from the same family. Even people who meet us now don't think we're sisters. But I must say, we both have a strong passion for life and love. We care about the people we meet (sometimes maybe too much!) She chose a different route than I did. My sister, if I had to say one thing about her that I admire most and would love to learn from, is her mom-ness. When August was born was SO protective of him, and I get why. But as he's been growing and I've had to watch him grow up from a distance, I'm learning that her heart is SO full of love for that boy. She teaches him about the world. She doesn't hide him from the dark side but she teaches him how to deal with it. I admire everything about my sister. I can only hope someday to be half the mom and half the woman my sister is.
So...that's my family. We're weird. We play crazy games at holidays that sometimes turn violent. We laugh for hours. Our dinners have last WELL into the night simply because we like to sit and talk to each other. Our family vacations consisted of road trips, lots of fighting, soggy sandwiches, warm fruit and travel BINGO (including birds on a wire and BUFFALO!)
My childhood was typical, but as I meet new people and learn about people's upbringing, I must say, I now know that I was SO lucky in the way I was raised. Two loving parents (who still give up everything for us) and a sister who has become one of my best friends. They say you can't choose your family, but given the chance, I wouldn't change mine in any way!
I cried again.
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