Free to Be Me

This past year was full of ups and downs. Times of sadness, times of joy, times of disappointment and loss of trust in others. Times of complete joy with family and true friends.  As the year came to a close, I began to think about the year and the changes I've noticed in myself.

In the past few months, I've actually begun to like the person I'm becoming. Ironically the changes began with my first tattoo. It was as if until that moment I still felt the need to please others. I was still that girl brought up in the south where you are expected to look, act, and present your family in a certain way in order to be considered acceptable. With my first ink came the freedom to break away from that and begin to be the person God created me to be, rather than the person I always felt I was supposed to be to fit in. It has also helped me to get to know people rather than judging them based on their appearance.

It saddens me to look around and see how many women are trying to live up to unrealistic expectations to be approved of by people they don't even care about. That was me. It's still a struggle. Some habits are hard to break. However, I am so much happier now that I feel free to be me! I can't wait to see what God has in store for my family and me this year!