Girl.

Many of us spend our whole lives trying to connect with our essence.  It is hard work; to have developed the awareness that there is work to be done at all is brave.  All of us have broken parts, mistakes, errors in judgement and we fall down.  Working through who I am and how I think about myself continues to be a work in progress.  Learning to listen to my inner voice, to forgive myself and others, and to express my feelings has not been easy.  “Girl” represents my journey, the struggles and the joy in being who I am, and my connection to the feminine.  My hope is that it resonates with all women who still see themselves as the girl, reflecting the innocent essence of our experience and our authenticity.  My hope is that you find the strength, courage, and wisdom to be both the innocent girl and the powerful woman, the girl who finds joy in life and the woman who stands tall for herself and her sisters.

Girl

I am the girl born in an army hospital on my father’s birthday as he left for Vietnam

I am the girl with three beautiful sisters

I am the girl who stacked wood, mowed the lawn, learned to shoot and use a hammer

I am the girl who rode horses and had a pet crow

I am the girl of catholic school and Sunday mass

I am the Irish girl from Lenox, proud to be five generations deep

I am the girl who cherished her grandparents

I am the girl who gathered her sisters under the covers when our parents fought

I am the girl who struggled for my mother’s approval and was never good enough

I am the girl of books, poems, paintings, and walks in the woods

I am the girl of adventure, independence, and freedom

I am the girl who met a boy when she was 17 and refused to let go

I am the girl of concerts, bonfires, and pool tables

I am the girl who drove across country, moved to California

I am the girl with cowboy boots and flowers in her hair

I am the girl who hiked the Grand Canyon, camped by wild rivers and slept on the beach

I am the girl who moved to Maui

I am the girl of ambition with a passion for art and beauty

I am the girl who followed her heart when she knew the path was difficult

I am the girl of mistakes, embarrassment and shame

I am the girl who gave up opportunity to stay in Lenox and make a life

I am the girl who bought an old house and nursed it back to health

I am the girl who found a career and a purpose in wellness

I am the girl who found other mothers to ground and teach me

I am the girl of spirit – witch, mermaid, and warrior

I am the girl of 82nd & Columbus, strategy, and subways

I am the girl who is a mother, aunt, and mentor

I am the girl who prodded and poked that boy as far as she could

I am the girl who struggles to love herself, and silence her inner critic

I am the girl who is a runner, a yogi, a sometimes athlete

I am the girl that seeks challenge

I am the mother that tames wild beasts or sons, they are one and the same

I am the girl that volunteers, a giver of time and ideas

I am the girl who became an entrepreneur

I am the girl who became brave and walked away

I am the girl who moved to Nantucket and gained her life back

I am the girl who began to believe in herself

I am the girl who is loyal and dedicated

I am the girl whose best friend died

I am the girl who challenges power and politics because she believes in equality

I am the mother who knew her sons needed a different path

I am the girl who marches on, over disapproval, over hurt, over pain

I am the girl of gratitude, manifestation, acceptance, forgiveness

I am the girl of the full moon and the magic of love

I am the girl who went dark and went to therapy

I am the mother of short temper, a messy house, and fingerprints everywhere

I am the girl still moved by the ocean, the collector of sand dollars and heart rocks

I am the girl who has regrets and still tries again

I am the woman who still thinks she’s a girl

A grateful seeker of ways to be well and happy in life, Joanna Roche can be found collecting heart rocks and sand dollars on the shores of Nantucket.  Writer, thinker, speaker, and activist, her mission is to inspire wellness as a sustainable personal and business practice.  She is a vibrational sound therapist and the creator of “Growing Your Own Joy” workshops.  Tune into her show BalancingACK on WNCK 89.5 Nantucket’s Public Radio or follow her on Instagram @januaryjo for your dose of inspiration and adventures with her boys. 

 

 

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