I've gone over how I would say this a million times in my head. And as I sit here at the computer drinking coffee out of a mug that says, "I'm a carpenter," I am reminded that I really am so many different things all wrapped up in this 39-yr-old body of mine. We all are, aren't we?!? So many times we get labeled and pigeon-holed into narrow categories because it's easier for all of us to process who that person is within a rigid framework. I'm guilty of doing it, too. And boy is it easy to do that during election season.
But it's not that simple, is it?
I have been keeping a secret about a "side" of me out of fear. Fear that I would be judged. Fear that it would hurt my business. Fear that I would let people down. I've come to the realization over the past year that we are not meant to live in fear. It holds us back. We're given gifts and talents by God not for us to hide away but to really own, respect, and share. Basically, stand in our truth.
So here's mine. In addition to being a daughter, wife, mom, carpenter, designer, CEO, amateur hair cutter, and a whole slew of other things, I am a medium. I was born with the gift of being able to communicate with loved ones that have passed on.
This gift of mine is something I've always had but at a very early age, I turned off. Probably due to fear. It started to awaken in me about three years ago but really came on full force over the past year and a half. Out of nowhere, I started to hear and see things other people were not. And for the most part, the messages I was receiving were from children who have passed. There is so very much to this complicated story of mine but in a nutshell, I have been helping families reconnect with children who have crossed in an effort to help everyone begin to heal. This isn't something I do for income (I do not charge for my help) and I do not seek out the children, they come to me. Some I know through friends or family and some are complete strangers.
In an effort to stand in my truth and move forward with what I know will ultimately be one of the most important things I do in my lifetime, I started a website called
The Little Light Project. You can read more about how it works and how a handful of families feel about the work I'm doing and more importantly, how it is helping them cope with their loss.
I know this is a very controversial subject and I completely respect if you do not believe in such things. All I know is that for me, this is very real and is my truth. It might not be yours, but it is mine and I want to do the best I can in my lifetime to live authentically.
So there you have it. No more hiding for me. I wouldn't be able to stand in my truth without the support of my amazing family, colleagues and friends who love me for me. It's hard to put into words how thankful I am for their support. And I especially want to thank my husband, Scott. It takes a strong man with a lot of faith in God and his wife to endure what Scott has had to go through over the past few years. His love and support have given me the strength and confidence to do what I'm doing now. Scott, I love you and thank you immensely for not putting me in an institution. And mostly for believing in me, even when I didn't believe in myself.
As always, thank you immensely for your support of Mod Mom Furniture! I am working on incorporating more giving through MMF by donating a percentage of sales to organizations that help abused and ill children. Check out a sneak peek of a beautiful wooden Nativity set we will be replicating, retailing and donating a portion of sales to charity on the
Mod Mom Facebook page. It's a design by Scott's late grandfather, Sam Brown, who was a Baptist minister and carpenter.
I sincerely hope every one of you reading this has the opportunity to live your authentic life and ditch the fear. Coincidentally, my dear friend told me that today is National Coming Out Day. I couldn't have picked a better day. :)
One significant change you will notice from the original concept rendering (pictured on the left) is that I ended up doing a patchwork layering rather than a precise lining of the planks. I've learned it is rather difficult to find pallets with similar lines and wood types, so I had to embrace all types of pallet wood, including the split pieces. But, with using so many variations of pallet wood types, one of my favorite outcomes is that it is texturally pleasing as well. Weather will certainly continue to play a major role in the overall color pallet of the wall, so that should be interesting to watch. If we should ever grow tired of the colors, repainting will always be an option. Vertical gaps left between some of the boards have allowed for removable shelving for the occasional row of candles.
