I'm With Her - The Why

I have not been this excited about a project in a looonng time. I sat in a coffee shop in Portland over the holidays and gave myself permission to think big about the upcoming year.

What would I do if I could do anything?What's the part of my job I wish I could do more of?

There are so many answers to those questions for me, but one of the things that excites me most is stories. I love the whole of people - where they come from, what they're scared of, who they admire, who they used to be, who they're becoming. There is this razor thin line with social media, you see. It can either tell our stories so perfectly that we actually alienate ourselves from the very people we intended to be 'social' with, or it can tell real stories: those that aren't a straight line, look wonky from the side, and end up beautiful but not without a few close calls. I want to tell those stories.As my girl Brené says,

“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren't always comfortable, but they're never weakness. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light."

She's not really my girl. I wish.I want to to celebrate a woman for surviving the very thing she thought would break her, to keep others from feeling alone or ashamed, and to provide strength and hope to carry on. Guys, grace is in the mess. We’re all in this together. These are the stories of women who have walked through a topic that our society often tip-toes around: depression, miscarriage, homosexuality, divorce, poverty and more. These women are brave and wise and strong and worth listening to. I'm with them.The first story comes from my new friend Kat. Next week, she'll share how she realized that who she is was not a "phase", how she found where her real worth lies, and how her work has shaped her confidence and ability to love others.Stay with me, y'all. I promise you won't want to miss this.