Our Keepsake Journal is Here! 🎉

Tell me a little about yourself. When did you start blogging and why?
 
I am a mom and a wife, and my family is my everything. I am a certified running coach–I currently coach for Team in Training, and I am on the committee of the Tour de Cure bike ride Houston and the committee of the Get Your Rear in Gear run Houston.
 
I love to do things outdoors with my family, and I love to organize events, whether for charitable causes or just plain fun. I haven’t fully entered the world of blogging yet, but I started a Facebook page last year after my cancer diagnosis. It was a space to share my experiences going through treatment while keeping my friends and family updated in one fell swoop. At first it was scary putting myself and my life out there for all to see, but ultimately it has been a blessing. So many people have reached out to me on the page–many to offer me love and courage, but also many seeking advice and guidance for their own battles with cancer. I have made amazing connections with folks near and far by sharing my story. Writing for Her View From Home has allowed me to share other aspects of my life and the human experience outside of cancer…though most of my writing may reference cancer as I only finished treatments six months ago and my life has forever been changed by it. 
 
 What are some of your favorite sites on the ‘net?
 
I spend a lot of time on the internet for work since I work for a tech company, so I try to stay away from my computer after work. Honestly, the site I probably go to the most is www.imdb.com. On the rare occasion I watch television/movies, I can never recall the name of an actor or want to know what else he/she has played in before, so I will go look them up on imdb.com to satisfy my curiosity. 
 
What does a typical day look like for you?
 
I am so lucky to work from home. I wake up, stretch, do a few push ups (I am working on getting up to 10 military style in a row–it’s a slow process!), and head to my “office” which can be my kitchen table, my bed, or once a week, the big conference table at my local Starbucks. I work until about noon, then will go work out at the gym, hit a yoga class, go to the grocery store, or my favorite, hang out with my son and/or daughter and my husband, who also often works from home. On certain days, I haul my son to one of three different music lessons, a duty I love doing because I am blessed to be able to support his passions and talent. I volunteer for several organizations, so some days I am busy with those duties. It’s summer now, so my schedule is a little loosey goosey. When school starts back up, I will be more disciplined–at least that’s the plan!
 
What advice do you have for someone who wants to blog or share her/his story?
 
You have to be willing to open yourself and your life up on the page. Don’t just write a chronology of events. Take your reader down the side streets of your story. Those tangents often offer up something to which your reader can relate. Writing a blog style story is challenging for me because I can be very wordy and go down many tangents but have to remember that writing for the internet needs to be a bit more concise and digestible in one sitting. Share your truths. You are not alone. You are brave for sharing your story. 
 
What story are you most proud of?
 
One of my best stories is one I wrote many years ago that I have not yet shared with the world…it’s very personal, but I do think it is my best writing to date. Maybe one day…
 
But, my favorite recent piece is about my daughter. Many people identified with having a young adult child who is still figuring this life out. Writing it helped me sort out my feelings and solidify my resolve when it came to advocating for her. It’s still a challenge, but I am in a better place about it all. 
 
How can people follow you?
 
Of course, on Her View From Home–I post a piece the first Wednesday of every month. And I still maintain my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/fightlikeaboss. A blog may be coming soon…
 
Spotlight Writer of the Week - Fight Like a Boss, Rebecca Wells www.herviewfromhome.com

Rebecca Wells

Rebecca Wells is still trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. In addition to being a mom and a wife, she has been a teacher, instructional coach, and most recently, the dean of instruction at an inner city high school in Houston, Texas. Due to factors surrounding her treatment for stage 3 colorectal cancer, she has traded a career in education to pursue other passions and interests. When she gets all done with chemo, she will return to running, cycling, swimming, yoga and soccer. Rebecca lives in Cypress, a small suburban community just outside of Houston, where there are fields of donkeys and llamas right down the street from the grocery store, and small trailer parks nestled in between subdivisions featuring homes valued at half a million dollars (she doesn’t live in either one!). She shares her home with her husband, daughter, son, and two crazy, crazy dogs.

Do They Notice My Self-Doubt as a Working Mom?

In: Living, Motherhood
Woman taking a selfie in a bathroom mirror holding a coffee cup

At the office, I forget yet another small detail. Later, I am asked a simple question, something I should know the answer to, and I respond with “I don’t know” because it didn’t even occur to me to have that information on hand. I feel incapable of planning much ahead and insecure about my ability to read through the fine print. Another day of work is missed to be home with a sick baby, it’s been a difficult winter with illness striking our home, including a round of influenza for me. Meetings I was supposed to lead are covered by...

Keep Reading

Having Kids Shows Who Your Real Friends Are

In: Friendship, Motherhood
Mother and child walking through forest, color photo

Any mom, typical or special needs, will tell you having kids is the fastest way to tell who your real friends are. When your child is born with special needs this process becomes even more severe and obvious. At first, people visit and want to hold the baby, but once the delays kick in slowly people start to pull away. Disability makes them uncomfortable. That’s the truth. They hope you won’t notice, but you do. Honestly, most stop trying altogether. It’s not just friends who act this way either, sometimes it’s family too. That hurts the most. As a parent...

Keep Reading

Hello from the Other Side of 40

In: Living
Woman holding up 4 and 3 fingers on her hands

Facing 40 birthday candles? Let me tell you why your future is even brighter than those birthday cake flames, but first, I’ll also tell you—I get the big deal about turning 40. Facing that lofty milestone wasn’t fun for me. The dread started early when I was a young 37, and a sibling turned 40. I’m next! I realized, and I pouted and whined at the thought for the next three years. All of that bad behavior couldn’t keep me in my 30s though, and honestly, it left me a little embarrassed. Though this earthly tent is showing obvious signs...

Keep Reading

Why Doesn’t Anyone Talk about How Hard Adult Friendships Are?

In: Friendship, Living
Woman sitting along on couch looking at smartphone

The scary thing about friendship is it’s completely disposable. You actively choose to remain friends. It can dissolve at any time. No one can force you into it. In marriage, you are bound to one another before God. As a parent, you have a familial obligation to your child. But friendship? That comes completely free and clear. You intentionally let them in, let them see your underbelly. Your messy house. Your imperfect marriage. Your rebellious children. Your weirdness, your quirks, your sin. And they can walk away at any moment. Oh, there are a few exceptions. Maybe you work together....

Keep Reading

The Last Text I Sent Said “I Love You”

In: Friendship, Grief, Living
Soldier in dress uniform, color photo

I’ve been saying “I love you” a lot recently. Not because I have been swept off my feet. Rather, out of a deep appreciation for the people in my life. My children, their significant others, and friends near and far. I have been blessed to keep many faithful friendships, despite the transitions we all experience throughout our lives.  Those from childhood, reunited high school classmates, children of my parent’s friends (who became like family), and those I met at college, through work and shared activities. While physical distance has challenged many of these relationships, cell phones, and Facebook have made...

Keep Reading

Being a Hands-on Dad Matters

In: Kids, Living
Dad playing with little girl on floor

I am a hands-on dad. I take pride in spending time with my kids. Last week I took my toddler to the park. He’s two and has recently outgrown peek-a-boo, but nothing gets him laughing like him seeing me pop into the slide to scare him as he goes down. He grew to like this so much that he actually would not go down the slide unless he saw me in his range of vision going down. When it’s time to walk in the parking lot he knows to hold my hand, and he grabs my hand instinctively when he needs help...

Keep Reading

Finding My Confidence in Learning to Enjoy Exercise

In: Living
Woman at exercise class, color photo

This picture is of me, noticeably overweight, attending a silks class. This is something I’ve always wanted to do, but I looked noticeably out of place in my XL frame, compared with the other women in their size two Lululemon leggings. At one point, before we began, I actually quietly asked the instructor if there was a weight limit. She reassured me that people a lot heavier than me had hung from their ceiling on those silks. Before we started hanging from the ceiling, the instructor had us all sit in a circle and introduce ourselves and our goal for...

Keep Reading

Somewhere Between Wife and Mom, There Is a Woman

In: Living, Motherhood
Woman standing alone in field smiling

Sometimes, it’s hard to remember there is a woman behind the mom. At home, you feel caught between two worlds. Mom world and wife world. Sometimes it’s hard to balance both. We don’t exactly feel sexy in our leggings and messy mom bun. We don’t feel sexy at the end of the day when we are mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted from being a mom all day. The truth is we want to feel like ourselves again. We just aren’t sure where we fit in anymore. RELATED: I Fear I’ve Lost Myself To Motherhood We know the kids only stay...

Keep Reading

Dear Mom, Until We Meet Again

In: Grown Children, Living
Daughter hugs elderly mother from behind outside

Mom, I pray to the stars that someday, somewhere we pick up where we left off. Before the Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Before your life, my life, and our family’s life changed forever. If we meet again, will you appear just as I remember you before this awful disease took over? With ebony black hair, vibrant blue eyes, and a gracious smile. Will you look at me and know I am your daughter? Will you refer to me by my beloved childhood nickname? RELATED: The One Thing Alzheimer’s Cannot Take Away Will you embrace me in a warm hug and tell me...

Keep Reading

Friendship Looks Different Now That Our Kids Are Older

In: Friendship, Living, Motherhood
Two women and their teen daughters, color photo

When my kids were young and still in diapers, my friends and I used to meet up at Chick-fil-A for play dates. Our main goal was to maintain our sanity while our kids played in the play area. We’d discuss life, marriage, challenges, sleep deprivation, mom guilt, and potty-training woes. We frequently scheduled outings to prevent ourselves from going insane while staying at home. We’d take a stroll around the mall together, pushing our bulky strollers and carrying diaper bags. Our first stop was always the coffee shop where we’d order a latte (extra espresso shot) and set it in...

Keep Reading