MY STORY
My first day as an unemployed, stay-at-home mom when the pandemic hit was a struggle, to say the least. Like most folks, I am a creature of habit and enjoy the security and comfort that structure and routine bring. This first day off work left me feeling a bit lost and without any sense of purpose. Everything I knew about what to expect today, tomorrow, next week, next month, was out the window. I had to let go of my routine. I felt overwhelmed. I felt anxious. I’d created the perfect system, full of efficiencies that I'd spent years developing for myself so that I could live every day to the fullest and maximize what I'd come to define as a successful day. I know myself well though and knew that the only way to adjust and move forward was to pivot with a new plan.
The next morning, I sat down with my laptop, deleted my work schedule from the calendar, and began filling my days with new events. Now, instead of getting baby Zoe ready for daycare I help Kaitlyn prep and organize her assignments for the school day. I spend my mornings in the living room watching movies with Zoe and taking online professional development classes while Malik sleeps after a long night of work. We workout together as a family during Kaitlyn's PE class time, we play outside each afternoon, and Malik and I prepare home-cooked meals most evenings. This may not seem like much, but it’s been so rewarding to be able to do these seemingly small things together!
I attended a webinar recently where everyone shared what they missed about life prior to the pandemic. Most everyone talked about missing their friends, going out, shopping, etc. When they asked me what I was missing, I didn't know what to say. I drew a total blank! It was kind of embarrassing! It struck me later though that the reason I couldn’t think of anything was because I wasn’t missing anything! I now had what I had so efficiently taken for granted – time with my children. |
I “found time" for my children, for my partner, and for myself, but most of all, I found the courage to give myself grace. If you aren't familiar with grace, and I wasn't for many years, grace is a kindness we all deserve to give to ourselves. Being in grace means not beating yourself up for choosing to order out instead of cooking for your family. Grace is breathing through self-doubt and arriving in peace and certainty. Without grace we are rigid, self-deprecating wads of stress. It takes a good amount of resiliency to move through times of great turmoil and confusion like we’re experiencing today. So, it’s my opinion that, to arrive on the other side of any challenge, relatively unscathed and perhaps stronger than before, we should give ourselves grace and pivot.
As many of you know, after working with the Women's Premier Soccer League a few years back, and planning games for the California Storm women's soccer team, I took a leap of faith and started an event planning business called Everyday Events - a name I came up with in the shower! LOL! As I moved from soccer games to birthday parties to special events, I found myself drawn to weddings. For me, there really is no better place to work! Wedding day excitement is palpable – everyone is happy, the music is pumping all your favorite jams, people are dancing and laughing, the food is delicious, the drinks are flowing, and love is everywhere! 
Couples put so much love and energy into planning the day of their dreams. As a Wedding Coordinator and Officiant, I have had the honor of bringing my clients’ wedding-day dreams to life so that they can focus on getting married and having fun! With a passion for making people feel special and a natural inclination for being organized and effective, being a small business owner allows me to follow my passion, work in my strengths, and gives me the freedom and flexibility to run my business around my family.
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"I feel very fortunate to have you in my life, to embark on this journey with me and my family – your support means the world to us!
Thank you for being so awesomely you!"
- Amber