Dear Ms Clairol, did my Grandmother contact you?

What do a wise grandmother, a shiny penny, Ms Clairol, Little House on the Prairie, a wild mind and an old typewriter have in common? Me of course!

Ya’ll , I’ll confess I’m a redhead!! A real redhead! When I was younger, my hair was the color of copper, yes like a shiny copper penny! My Grandmother used to tell me everytime she caught up with me to brush my hair,”I tell what, Ms Clairol sure would pay good money for this color! It’s a like a shiny new copper penny!” As a child, I couldn’t appreciate those words as quite frankly my hair had given me heartache frequently. Now that I’m older, I embrace it! My Grandmother’s words are priceless to me now as I realize what she was trying to tell me! My copper hair made me special not just in her eyeshadow someone who loved me but in those who could see the beauty in it (like Ms Clairol).

Okay, so what about “Wilder”? Well, the truth of the matter is that I have a very complex to put in nicely mind. It is “wild” in there and I’m actually in the process of trying to tame my mind. Yes, you read that right. (Anyone with any type of mental illness, can most likely relate? So stay tuned for honest, raw posts and tips, articles, resources to help tame yours too!)

Did I mention I also absolutely love love love Laura Ingalls Wilder! Yes, the author who wrote Little House book series and she will be quoted ALOT on this blog! Something else I got from my Grandmother, her love of Little House on the Prairie!

So to honor my copper hair, my favorite author and my wild mind, I’m the Wilder Penny!

This blog largely is a tribute to my wonderful wise Grandmother! She set me on this path of mine to discover who I was and to love myself because of my uniqueness. On the days my mind fights against me and tells me to give up, I’m so thankful I have her words to remind me of how valuable I truly am.

My beautiful grandmother

Love you forever and always Grandmother, your (older) New Shiny Copper Penny

Oh and thanks for letting me play on your old typewriter on which I wrote my very first article at 7! Hey a girls gotta start somewhere right?

And just for a little fun? Guess Who 1980s version

Sister, you need some R and R!

 

Wait, did Eleanor Roosevelt really say I need to be my own friend? Yes! And her words are very profound especially this month as  September is Self-care awareness month. Do you self-care? Take it from me, it’s a must for your mental and physical health! I found out the hard way after putting my mental health on the back burner for over a decade while I took care of multiple family members. This neglect caused my mental health to suffer dramatically to the point of breaking. I had the mentality that putting my needs first occasionally was just being selfish. This is the absolute furthest from the truth. I compare self-care to balancing your bank account.  I had many people taking withdraws from my “emotional” bank but only a couple making deposits. Just like your bank account, if the amount going out is greater than coming in, the “bank” decides to “close” the account. So taking time to take care of yourself is not selfishness! It’s vital to your self preservation. Who can you help if you are unable to help yourself? #selfcareawarenessmonth