In my family, I am the person who knows the least about technology/social media and how it all works.  So it’s more than a bit ironic that I am the first one who is initiating a blog.  When I am facing new territory like this, I know I am stepping over the edge of my own comfort zone and into the arena of what I call “conscious incompetence.” Have you ever noticed that’s exactly what we do to ourselves when we make a decision to move forward and stretch into something new?  And from my experience, each time that opportunity presents itself, I must match the first step with an equal amount of courage.  After all, something inside of me still wants to “get things right and not make mistakes,” and I have to face the truth that it takes time and practice to reach a certain level of “competency.” So in the meantime, I have to give myself permission to make all mistakes that are needed for me to learn this new skill.  Overall, in the coming months as I edge forward (with a little help from my friends), my hope is to share something that has value for you. 

So what does all this have to do with hope and elephants?  You can see from my photos what I look like now and then.  I was blessed to be raised in a family that surrounded me with a strong sense of love, faith and hope.  One of the best life lessons I learned from my Dad when I was little was, “You can eat an elephant if you do it one bite at a time.”  As I grew up and faced a variety of very significant challenges as a parent (even the very real situation that my own daughter might not live through the night), I cannot tell you how much that saying of my Dad’s was a driving force to my own hopefulness and ability to see how to thrive (not just survive) through difficult situations.  Over time and with repetition, I learned that I was stronger than I knew. Every time I thought I couldn’t survive the pain, heartbreak and fear, I discovered that I was stronger and more courageous than I knew, if I just took the next bite with hope.

All these experiences as a parent - and really needing to navigate the fragmented system of services for my daughters - is the “fire in my belly” that fuels me with great passion and meaning for the work of ECIC and the Great Start Parent Coalitions.  I know the importance of finding my voice and joining a unified force that is collectively eating this elephant one bite at a time.  I look forward to hearing from you as we work together on this important journey of needed change.