If you visit here, you know that I have spent the last year or two learning to do things for myself and do what is right for me. It's been a journey like I have never taken before. It's been amazing and awesome. It's made turning 60 a wonderful adventure.
I have had to make some hard decisions along the way too. I've had to put myself first in some situations that I hadn't before. I always worried about what everyone else would think if I did the thing that was right for me. I still struggle with that at times, but I'm getting better at it. It doesn't seem to get any easier though.
I had to make one of those hard decisions last week.
After five years of being a contributing writer for the website, The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans, I made the decision to step down. I absolutely love everyone over at Shrinking Jeans. I love what they do for people. I love that people feel heard and inspired and motivated through the site. I had just begun to feel like I wasn't doing my part to do those things for people. I felt like my writing was getting stale and I was grasping for things to write about. I owed our readers and my editors more and I just didn't feel like I was doing that.
I can't thank the sisterhood enough for everything they have done for me. I got to meet people I never would have met like Alison Sweeney and Ali Vincent. I even got to interview Ali Vincent. I was there to cover several Self Workout in the Park events in Chicago. I got to work out with Dolvett from the Biggest Loser. I got to meet people from the Biggest Loser. I got to interview an editor from Self magazine. Little old me with a VIP press pass in the big city of Chicago. Not once, but three times. Who'd have ever thought it? Not me, that's for sure.
Mostly though, I want to thank the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans for what they have done for me. I found them very early in my blogging days. They made me really look at myself and begin to challenge myself. They helped me see that I could be so much more than I was. I think it was them that gave me the courage to have the awesome year that I had leading up to turning 60. They helped me learn to think outside the box. They helped me become "me" and I will never be able to thank them enough. To go from reader to writer was amazing and I will treasure that always.
My editors, Christy and Melissa are two of the most amazing and wonderful people you will ever meet. They trusted me when I wasn't sure I trusted myself to do this job. They gave me the wings to fly and I think I did. They have been two of my biggest supporters. They kicked my butt when it needed kicking and they hugged me tight when I needed hugging, even though we were thousands of miles apart. That's the truly amazing thing about that place. I have only met a handful of the sisters in person, but I feel like I have known these people all my life. It is truly a sisterhood in every sense of the word. I may be leaving as a writer, but I will NEVER leave as a sister!
I also want to thank my fellow writers at Shrinking Jeans. You ladies are some of the best people I know. I don't ever want to lose touch with you. You have always been there to support me and love me. It means so much. You are truly my sisters.
I am going to miss my little graphic below. As it says, "she's just old enough". She's just old enough to know that it's time to say good bye to this chapter in my life. It makes me sad, but it makes me happy. I know it is the right decision for me.
Good bye Shrinking Jeans. I love you!!
