Monday, February 29, 2016

finding strength.



I've had this blog post in my mind for a long time and honestly would work on it here and there because it's super important to me and I wanted to make sure I included all my thoughts before posting. Then I heard Kelly Clarkson sing Piece by Piece on American Idol and inspiration came rushing in. That song truly resonates with my heart.

Growing up, I didn't have a healthy father figure. Typical story so I won't go too deep into because this post isn't about him. My mom worked her butt off to provide for us but she will agree that my brother and I didn't have a marriage to look to for influence, a blue print plan of how ours should look one day. Therefore, I grew up your typical girl with daddy issues...never getting married was my first goal and finding my ultimate career was my second goal.

Fast foward to now, I am still working the job I always have had and married. Life is funny and honestly, it seems to turn out so much better than I could have ever thought. The last thing I ever wanted in my twenties was to be married which is exactly what I am and I am so far away from having my dream career but I find myself more and more content everyday. I stumbled upon Tripp in 2010 with no intentions of marriage. I won't tell our love story, this post is more for the girls that feel like a failure, or feel like falling in love means you aren't the ultimate Supergirl. My idea of falling in love when I was in high school and early twenties was weakness. I would think how stupid, girls falling in love...so weak. I am strong enough to not need a man and that's how I will always be [hahahahah!].

Here I am on my 5th year of being with Tripp and he is honestly everything I never thought I would have, especially at this age. I would have adults literally tell me that I would be a lesbian or a stripper when I grew up because of my father and the issues we went through at home. So instead of doing that, I wanted a life of singleness for myself.

I feel like a failure most days, hint the depression but somedays when I find myself in the stillness of life. I look at my marriage and think, "How on earth did I make such a great decision?" and it's still beyond me. I don't have anything to look to for when things go wrong with us, I don't have a father that I wanted a guy to be like for marriage and I certainly didn't trust any one with a penis. I am here today at a young 25 years of age, feeling stronger everyday because of the love I have given to my husband. I find strength in finding a solid man to be my helpmate on this journey through life. Do I think you need a man to complete you?! ABSOLUTELY NOT, y'all. But if you find a healthy guy, a guy that is trustworthy, a man who wants to be your provider, that won't leave, that doesn't treat you disposable and finds beauty in your very un-beautiful times....find your strength in the ability to love him.

I am here to say that if I don't make any good decisions for the rest of my life, I made the best one by choosing Tripp Otis. I hope that we always work as hard as we do on our marriage now, that we always realize marriage isn't perfect [it is NO JOKE, y'all] but that we will always be willing to be hard workers and helpmates for each other. It's a team and I've never been happier to find strength in someone else.

Find your strength. Whatever it looks like. Whatever brings you the most joy. Just find it.




13 comments :

  1. I. LOVE. THIS. I'm so happy you found your person in life! I think that oftentimes, myself included, that strong women who believe in empowering women, believe that leaning on a man is a sign of weakness. I don't think that's true. At all. You can love yourself and respect yourself but have a partner in life. I'm happy for you and can't wait to find my person one day :)

    Lauren
    www.postgradinprogress.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's funny that love always seems to happen when you least expect it! And most especially when you aren't looking for it. I'm glad you found your person and that the two of you are such a great team! Even if everything else is going to shit at least you have someone to have your back! <3, Pamela Sequins & Sea Breezes

    ReplyDelete
  3. And y'all are so stinking cute together. I'm so proud of you, with everything you have going on in this season of life right now, you seem to be doing so well. And if you don't think you are, at least you are trying!!! I have no doubt God brought you two together 5 years ago for a purpose. Happy you're back blogging again :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love that song and this post! So glad you found your "prince-charming" and that you all are so happy together. It's a beautiful thing to find that one person who you can really connect with.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh my this song fills my eyes with tears! Beautifully written Lindsay!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I was a bawl bag of tears after listening to that song because like you, I didn't have the healthiest kind of father figure either. Stay strong love, they aren't worth it. Glad you found Tripp!

    xox.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Aww so sweet. I want to hear your love story now!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. i don't really like to go into it either, but i have the same daddy issues. when i saw kelly perform that song, god it almost broke me. so beautiful. my husband always says i turned out remarkably well for having such a shitty father / childhood, but my mum is amazing and worked her butt off for us. i really thought i would never get married because i was convinced that men didn't stay.. as horrible as that sounds. obviously they do, but like you i didn't have that marriage example to look at. i wouldn't change anything, but i know where you are coming from :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm so glad that you didn't let your struggles with your dad stand in the way of true love. If you had, that would have only meant that you were letting him win!

    And this song, oh, this song. I bawled my eyes out last week when I watched her sing it on Idol. I can't imagine what you and she must have gone through... I just can't imagine EVER abandoning my own children.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a strong and real post, lady! I was lucky to grow up with a very strong father figure and no one seemed to ever measure up to him. I find myself alone a lot because I wouldn't settle and thought I would end up single too. I'm proud of you for trusting yourself with Tripp and so happy y'all have been so happy for so long <3!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Just watched this video before reading your post. Powerful song! So happy for you that you married a good guy. So many repeat the cycle and marry the type of man their father was.

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a beautiful post. I've missed reading your blog! Love the honesty in your writing and this one especially. You are lucky to have each other =]=] <3 <3

    Staci
    www.missbloodymary.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I actually really needed to hear this so I am very glad that you did post this and that I saw it. I grew up never knowing my biological father and with an abusive stepfather. He was so bad that I started telling my mom to leave him when I was 9. I'm 35 now and I'm still afraid of love. I want it but have had nothing but crap experiences and have been thinking that maybe it's not for me after all. But this post does give me some hope.

    ReplyDelete

Follow Not A Mom on:
// bloglovin' // facebook // twitter // instagram //

I absolutely love comments so please share your thoughts with me! If you don't receive a response, it must be that you are a no-reply blogger so please go to http://anyonecandecorate.blogspot.com/2012/09/are-you-no-reply-blogger-how-to-fix.html so I can connect with you!