I met her more than a year ago and from the moment I visited her blog, I was so happy I did.
Kelly from Naked Girl in A Dress is cheeky, funny, honest and most of all Authentic.
Her writing spans the very personal to the very silly and then there are the days she talks about her kids (I love those days). Earlier this year she did a 2 week series on LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS and it was wonderful, thought provoking and hopeful for everyone who wants to share their life with someone. One of my favorites being about learning to find inner peace and thereby finding love.
She’s a really great mom, you can see it in the way she raises her pretty awesome children.
Then in addition to writing great stuff, she just graduated from photography school and is now teaching at said school. And if that wasn’t enough, she recently she took over one of my favorite places on the internet: Studio30+.
I am so amazed and awed at the what she has done there:
Revamped, Redesigned and READY to help writers to find a community. It’s looks fantastic and if you are a writer or blogger, I encourage you to head over there now and join that fantastic site.
But today, Kelly is here to share her Proud Mommy Moment and I couldn’t be happier to host her here in my space:
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Family time at our favorite Mexican restaurant last Saturday night involved sharing highlights from the day. The kids had been on a bike ride with their dad in a light rain (they thought this was cool); the three had been to the dog park with our crazy dog Lucky; and we all enjoyed watching my son’s baseball game. Dinner arrived at the table, but the conversation never stopped. We talked about the rest of the weekend, what my son was hoping to receive for his birthday, my daughter’s plan to create a new video, and more. The four of us enjoyed the great dinner, conversation, and time together.
I looked around the restaurant at the tables nearby. These families looked happy too. Kids animated, families laughing, and smiles.
We looked just like these families.
But we are not.
We are not happily married, but rather divorced.
My greatest worry when I separated was for my children’s well being, but my fears never became a reality. Keeping the focus on our children throughout the separation and divorce benefitted all of us. My ex and I remain good friends and my children were not placed in the position of choosing sides. Instead my kids have dinners out with both parents at the table, they see their parents laugh together, and they know they are loved and feel safe.
It might seem strange to some, but sitting at dinner last Saturday night, I realized how proud I am of these kids, how they handled this difficulty, and that my ex and I acted like adults, putting the love of our kids first.
My kids are whole, happy, well-adjusted children. They laugh and enjoy life fully. And yes, they also happen to have parents who are divorced. But the divorce does not define them.
I felt at peace that night and so proud of how my kids have not just survived, but thrived.
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Isn’t that what all of us wish for our children, to thrive, to make their own way?
I read this with tears in my very full heart for a family that makes it work for them. WOW. I loved her moment didn’t you?
Now that you’ve been introduced to the awesome that is Kelly, here are some more places you can find her:
Her Blog: Naked Girl in a Dress
Her Twitter @NkdGirlinaDress
I know she’d love for you to join STUDIO30+ too!
Kelly, thank you so much for being here today, I always enjoy spending time with you!
If you are a member of BlogHer
Please don’t forget to VOTE for my nominated piece for BlogHer’s VOICE OF THE YEAR about my struggle with infertility,
you can click right here to vote for BEING CARRIED. Thank you! xo
Wow! So inspirational not only for divorced families, but for all families. Laughter and conversation are so important.
I agree! Dinner/family time is essential. I am just still happy on occasion it can still be the four of us.
It’s so good to read that parents put their children first and not their own feelings. In a situation as difficult as a divorce can sure be, it’s usually the children that suffer most. It looks like you guys really strive to make it work for them. Kudos!!!
Thank you Susi. Worrying about the kids was a top priority in this process.
What a wonderful lesson. I think it’s awesome that you and your ex have managed to grow such a happy family. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Natalie!
Im so glad to hear this story. I hope its eventually what happens for my kids. Its what I thought it would be like, but it has turned out to be the exact opposite of your experience. Your story does give me hope. thank you for coming to share here at Kir’s place.
I wrote a post this year about how to handle the situation if you ex doesn’t play nice with you. The most important thing (in my opinion) if you have that situation is to remember to be accountable for your own actions. Be proud of how you handle the situation. You can’t control in any way how you ex behaves–only how you do.
Hopefully your children will see how you handle these difficult situations and emulate your good behavior when dealing with conflict in their lives.
Sending good thoughts your way Frelle.
This is such a beautiful, transparent post.
I love how you reveal your priorities -thriving, for all- through your story and words.
(That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?)
Thank you Galit, for the kind words!
This says SO much about you and your ex and how you two handled the situation. SO commendable, really. Sounds like you’ve all made the best of a it and that makes ms so happy for you and your children. I was smiling as I read this.
Thanks for sharing this moment with us.
Thank you Elaine. I am so grateful this was the end result of our divorce: a happy place for all of us.