I Have Been a Mom for Five Years . . .

And it's still hard to believe all the things I have accomplished, both personally and professionally, since Mia Isabel came into this world five and a half years ago. When she was about 2, I decided, what the heck? Why not give this freelance writing thing a go? I picked up a copy of "Writer Mama" by Christina Katz and a few trusted reference books on freelancing and I never looked back.
I can honestly say if it weren't for my kids, I never would have been so adventurous in my freelancing endeavors. I wouldn't have felt the need for an alternative 9 to 5 schedule so I could be with my kids during their most productive (and fun) hours of the day. I never would have earned the trust of respected editors and pitched and landed assignment after assignment. I am now a part-time editor in addition to a writer, and my copy editing skills have definitely benefited from this experience. All around me I see other parents succeeding in the same field and I am proud to be a part of this group of amazing people -- a group of people who need to support their families and make their own schedules at the same time. I hope this doesn't change anytime soon.
Oh, and the reason I haven't posted in MONTHS? I was training for that pesky half marathon. And I finally ran it last month, even with a painful shin injury. It was hard, and the second half of the race was completely grueling, but I finished it in a respectable amount of time. And I took the experience and pitched a story on it, because my new mantra is "Write What You Know." (See my Web site for further details). That article should be coming out in a local publication in July. Stay tuned.
I guess my husband thinks I'm pretty cool too -- just look what he gave me this morning in honor of Mother's Day! The iPod Touch I've been moping over for months.
Thanks to Mia and Noah too. Because of them I have the greatest job on earth. Being a mom.