Diamond Princess

Diamonds are forever…

Pressure bursts pipes or makes diamonds. I have heard this many times in life. It wasn’t until my 30s that I actually began to fully understand its meaning. As I quickly approach 40, I can’t help but reflect on my past, my future, and life itself. I’ve been fortunate to witness great miracles, and also live through some really tough times. And with today’s environment, sometimes I wonder, which am I? The pipe, or the diamond?
As everyone else does each morning, I look in the mirror, and question what I see for a few short seconds? Am I making my momma proud? My kids? Myself? How am I going to make through another day of local, national, global uncertainty? What am I wearing today? Sometimes it can just seem overwhelming. And in the worst of it, it can be downright depressing. Almost to the point where even the thought of getting out of bed is too much. It is in these times that I come to value pressure.
You see, for some people, pressure is needed, or more like required. Without it, they wouldn’t move. Wouldn’t live. Without pressure, you almost can’t truly learn who you are. Since the age of 17, I’ve always lived under pressure. That was the age that I had my first son. From that point, until this day, I’ve felt pressure.
At first, it broke me. I burst. And chile, I was all over the place. Through the years, I learned, no less the hard way, of how to pick up all those beautiful pieces, and put it back together. It took great trial and error to learn how to adjust to being a mom, and adult, at the same time. Not an easy task, I tell you. With my son, I learned that I was much stronger than I ever imagined, ever thought I could be. He taught me that I could give my last, and not even miss it. That I had patience. And that if he spilled something on my clothes, washed it with the wrong cleaning agents, or broke the steamer, I was actually going to be ok. (Because truth be told, at those times, I was not ok.) And most importantly, he taught me that there is something that Incould be more passionate about that fashion: him. As a 17 year-old, I had never thought that possible.
The pressure of being a mom, and a good one at that, forced me to make solid, hard, good decisions. Decisions that I would likely have not been able to make had I not been a mom. And yes, several of those decisions bust my pipes. But, I’m here today. Standing tall and proud with some of the blessed, most humble, well-mannered, successful children walking this earth. And for that, I’ll forever be grateful to God. It is my motherhood journey that has taught me exactly who I am, and what I’m made of. And I’m proud to finally say, all of that pressure made me a diamond. Diamond Princess, that is!

XoxoMo