So here I am

Last night my husband told me he wants to go to Long Island for Christmas Eve. I cried, which kinda surprised me. I didn't know how much I missed my family until he said we were going for Christmas. Mind you, we live in New Jersey - only about an hour and a half away. Yet there is something so primal, so innate about being "home" for the holidays. There is a joy so ingrained in me about buying gifts for my family, wrapping them and seeing them delight in my choices for them. I love the smell of Spanish food, the sound of my music, the corny jokes my father tells and the sarcastic ones of my brothers. I love the hugs, the pictures and the buzz of people coming and going. Something about being home reminds me of who I am. Yes, I am a wife and mom...but I was a daughter and sister first. I was a creative entrepreneur first. I was an inspirational leader first. I was the goody-goody of the family first. I was the God fearing woman first. I was the dancer, singer, writer, artist and vegetarian first. Who knew that the thought of going home would bring back the original me that was hidden under my interpretation of wife and mom. I think the new me can really flourish with the original me. So here I am. All of me in one place. It's good to be home.