I was born a very timid child. Laid back and flexible were my adjectives.

Headstrong and stubborn weren’t my defining characteristics. I was and still am a natural born rule follower.

The kid who always did their homework even when the rest of the class didn’t.

The one whose guilt would eat me alive and beg me to confess even if no one would have found out my misdeeds.

Shy and sweet was how many people described me.

Then, hard happened. Life happened. Trauma happened. I’ve been kicked down and kicked while I was down.

I’ve learned to fight to persevere. I wasn’t born with a warrior spirit, but this life has branded moxie into my DNA. I’m learning to take trials and the hard of this life and to stand strong and face the storms instead of running away from them until they catch up to me.

But with a kick ass attitude there is a balance to navigate of not letting the battles harden me. Staying soft but strong. Staying open but having boundaries. Leaning into the joy without the guilt. Staying open to change and criticism without being insecure. Being tough but compassionate and loving.

So here’s to living with moxie. May we navigate this journey with stubbornness and tenderness in all the right measurements.