I Am...

I am the carrot top baby born by the cherry trees to a former cheerleader mom and a career-ladder-climbing dad
Who watched her big brother morning, noon, and night and had crater-sized dimples when she smiled.

I am the child who played with legos and barbies and was mortally afraid of dragon-flies and jungle gyms,
Who loved spaghetti and cheerios and especially anything of big brother's
Who stored all his toys in my treasure box
Who dreamed of all things far away and make believe, and never thought she would be big enough to wear makeup.

I am the teenager who sought meaning in music
Who wore nothing fashionable or fun, and loved her comfy running clothes and hated the freckles she couldn't get rid of
Who wrecked her knee playing a sport she only pretended to like and then feigned disappointment she couldn't play it anymore,
Who dreamed of saxophones and flutes and knew someday she would play at Carnegie Hall.

I am the woman who crossed oceans to find meaning and spread the Hope
Whose highest priorities are Faith and Family
I am the mother who loves to sing and dance and goes crazy if I have to draw one more picture of a truck
and whose moments of perfect bliss come when child sized arms need a snuggle and baby's breath is warm against my chest
I am the Mom who loves cooking and avoids swingsets because of an irrational fear and who can drown a day's stress in a warm bubble bath with duckies.

I am the woman who always finds the bright side and looks for the best in everyone and is hardest on herself
I am the person who knows beyond doubt that it'll all work out in the end and then somehow it always does
I am the woman who still loves cheerios and spaghetti, but could do without the barbies
Who still longs to have the Scripture written on my heart, only without the time spent learning it
I am the person who dreams of leaving a legacy and influencing change and is grateful for a husband who keeps my feet on the ground
and who hopes to achieve something whose meaning will endure for generations.

Edited 2/3/07: Oops! I got so into writing this I forgot to give an intro! This is my "I Am...", based on a format found at Owl Haven's blog. It's similar to the Where I'm From post I did last month, but different.