Becoming Again

When I was a little girl, like many young children, I would daydream about becoming a grownup. In my mind, life followed a logical sequence: teenager, high school student, college student, and then adult. Each stage had a beginning and an end, after which you graduated to the next part of life.

In some ways, that’s how it happened. I went through high school and college, added graduate school, and entered “adulthood.” But in my childhood imagination, that last phase was just one long block of time.

I didn’t know—and I’m glad I didn’t—that adulthood would be a winding path along which I might become and recreate myself many times.

I have been an employee, a mom, a wife, a single mom, an entrepreneur, a wellness advocate, and an empty nester. That last one lasted about a minute before the pandemic brought one of the chicks home for a while. And now, I am a new wife once more.

So here I am, becoming again.

It is exciting and sometimes disconcerting. Can I recreate myself again? I hope so. I’m giving it a go.

In the past few months, I married the love of my life. I changed my name—my choice—and my email address to match. That turned out to be far more complicated and time-consuming than I expected. Do you know how many usernames and passwords are involved?

All worth it, but really.

I also moved two hours away to spend more time with my new husband.

Beyond updating my name, address, and email on seemingly everything, what would this mean for the business I had loved and grown for 20 years?

Fortunately, much of my work had already moved into the virtual world. Life coaching had always been virtual, and personal training had followed during the previous two years. I could work with clients up and down the East Coast, connecting through our screens.

For clients who preferred in-person training, I helped them find the right local match. I also planned to offer in-person sessions when I returned to visit.

Meanwhile, I was finding my way around a new home and imagining what might come next.

I was exploring new power-walking routes, pursuing a Happiness Coaching certification, and figuring out how to make friends without having children in the school system. I was thinking about the future of my business, continuing my education in nutrition and weight management, and planning webinars and classes to support whole-person wellness.

There were little bumps along the way. I didn’t know where anything was. I Googled everything and used GPS wherever I went.

But they had coffee and manicures, so I figured I would be okay.

The most exciting part was realizing that so much of what I had hoped for was taking shape: true love, time to rethink and grow my wellness business, the adventure of exploring a new area, and the confidence to move forward.

I was grateful. I was also occasionally overwhelmed by passwords and directions. Both things could be true.

As a little girl, I couldn’t have imagined all the versions of myself I would meet along the way. Now, I’m curious about who I might become next.

Are you in a season of becoming, too? Starting over, changing direction, or making room for something you’ve wanted for a long time?

I’d love to hear about it at colleen@strongmamas.com. And if you’d like support finding your next step, visit strongmamas.com to book a complimentary life coaching consultation.

As for me, I’ll be here: glittering, stumbling, getting up, laughing, and reaching for the stars.

Stay tuned.