Introduction

While I'm going through my daily life, I think of you, my brothers & sisters, often. You have always been extra special to me. I love you all so much and I have always wanted to live life well and to make you proud. You all are the most important people in my life and are on my mind anytime I make big life decisions. (I went to college as close as I could and worked hard to get a job and house near you.) Everyone that knows me knows I am a big sister and that my siblings are the loves of my life.
As I live this life, experience new things, learn, and grow, I so often think of things I want to share with you. But as we go through our busy daily lives it doesn't seem like there is enough quiet time for me to say all I want to say to you.  So I had this idea--I would set aside a notebook and would fill it with messages to you (things I've learned, my wishes for you, etc.). I don't know when I'll be finished with this and I don't know when I will give it to each of you, but it's important to me to be here for you and to share these thoughts with you. It's important for me to try to show you just how often I think of each of you, how important you are to me, and how proud I am of you. It is important to me hat you know that I love you unconditionally. I love you because of who you are (not what you do--although you all do great things). I will always love you & will always be here for you. My biggest wish for you all is health and happiness. I want you to live life, to do work you love, to be surrounded by people who love you. I want you to always feel loved and secure and safe.
Through this notebook (blog), I want to share some advice with you.  But unfortunately I'm not perfect (not even close), so it's not that I think I have everything figured out. I haven't always acted like I know I should and I haven't always followed my own advice.  Overall though I'm always trying to do the right thing and to learn from my mistakes.  (Maya Angelou says that when we know better we do better.  I firmly believe this is true!) Because I'm always learning, there may be advice in here that is contradictory or that I go back later and change. I want to leave those imperfections in here though so that you know that I don't ever expect you to be perfect. I don't ever want you to feel that kind of pressure because whoever you are, at any time, is "perfect" to me. I never want you to feel self-conscious with me about any decision you ever make. I want to celebrate all the great things you do and I want to be there to laugh (or sometimes cry) with you about the decisions that didn't work out as well. I want you to truly know that there is nothing you could do that would make me love you any less. I love you more every day.

First piece of advice--Follow your heart and your instinct. Tell the rest of the world to be quiet. (It's okay to tell me to be quiet too sometimes! :) ) I will be here to support the choices you make and to love you unconditionally. I have loved each of you since the minute you were born and I am so very lucky that you are my brothers and sisters (and best friends). I love thinking about the future and all of the parts of life that we'll share with each other.

The thoughts in the rest of this notebook (blog) are in no particular order--just the random order they popped into my head.