Meet Katelyn

I want to introduce myself to all of you.  HELLO!  I'm Katelyn, the crazy brains behind this blog.  

I am a spunky, feisty, loving, giving, passionate, determined mother of 2 amazing boys (1 through adoption). I am also blessed to be the birth mother to the most beautiful little girl and the step mother to an adorable little princess as well.  My passions include all things ReAl Salt Lake, holistic healing, essential oils, good food (healthy or otherwise), crafting, expanding my gospel knowledge (I am LDS), Montana, and spending time with my family.  I am the youngest, and only girl.  I have three older brothers who taught me early in life that I needed to be tough.  I have lived in the same zip code for 24 out of 26 years of my life and love the city I was raised in.  

I am excited for the journey that is my life and excited to share the joys, trials, triumphs, and everything in between.

Over the past few months I've developed a new mantra that has gotten me through many dark moments.  It's something that my sister-in-law Mary told me when I was faced with a very difficult decision.  I still recite this in my head every morning as a reminder that I can do whatever I am faced with.

-Katelyn

My Hope for society

Yesterday the news quickly spread of the passing of a well known, beloved, and amazing actor.  Robin Williams passed away at the age of 63.  My heart broke for his family for a few reasons.  He's far too young to be gone and secondly the reports are saying he committed suicide.  I can't tell you how many people have posted comments like...

"How is this possible he was the happiest man alive."

"How could he do such a thing to his family."

"I would have never known he suffered from depression"

"This is just so shocking."

Each comment I read I wanted to reply and say things like...

"Happiness on the outside doesn't mean he was happy on the inside"

"You never know what he was thinking. He may have thought it would be better for his family."

"Depression is often a silent battle, please reach out to those you love."

There are on average 39,518 deaths caused by suicide each year in the us.  

I am here to tell you that I am a survivor.  September 10 of 2013 I shared with the world the fact that I was a survivor.  Each year many in social media take to the stage and join forces with a non profit company called To Write Love on Her Arms (You can read more HERE).  For the first time in my life I posted my Love on my arm.  I have participated for a few years now but never posted it anywhere.  I was a silent support and was grateful to do it.  I had no intentions of ever sharing with the public the battle that I silently fought.  However last year I had an overwhelming feeling that someone, one of my friends, needed to know what I had gone through.  I still to this day do not know who needed to know, but I am grateful for the inspiration to share.

For years as a teenager I fought severe depression.  I was medicated for a very long time and yet none of it seemed to help.  I attempted suicide 3 separate times.  Each time I very clearly remember telling myself "this world will be better without you".  My last suicide attempt was after I had placed a baby for adoption at the age of 19.  Not many people knew how hard post placement depression hit me.  I tried to avoid it, I tried to "live my life" to the best of my abilities but I was surrounded in darkness every day.

I credit my amazing mother for my life, to this day.  She was and is the reason my attempts failed.  She was a loving hand in my dark hours and did her very best to support me the way I needed to be supported.

My hope for society is that through this tragedy people will no longer view depression as something that can easily be changed by the way you think.  I hope that society will realize on a grander scale the problem within the medical world as far as antidepressant medications go.  I hope that society will turn the corner and be more compassionate, loving, caring, and gentle to others.

-Katelyn

We are

A few months ago my life changed in a huge way.  I reached out to friends and was overwhelmed with love, support, compassion, understanding, and never ending words of support.  I realized a few weeks ago that the support I had gotten had changed my life.  Complete strangers are now some of my dearest friends.  How is that possible?  It was possible because I shared my story, I reached out and women answered.  I want this same thing to happen on a grander scale.  I want mothers to know that we are not fighting against each other but fighting with each other to rear our children in this world.  We are fighting for the common goal.

I reached out to women who have touched my life in ways they may not have known and asked them to contribute to this cause.  They are all at different stages in their life and different stages of motherhood.  They all have something different to share.  My hope through this blog is that you {who ever is reading this right now} will be touched, guided, and encouraged.  My hope is that we can share with you things we have learned/are learning to help you through your trials and struggles to come.

We will share the good, the bad, the ugly, the stinky, the fun, the spunky, and everything in the middle.  Join us in our journey.
Katelyn