Who Am I?

I’ve been wanting to rewrite this hastily written post for a while.

Who Am I? It’s a big question with no easy answer. How do you define yourself outside of the normal, “I’m a Mum, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend” parameters?

This weekend I read a blog that has inspired me entitlted More than a Mum. She had read similar blogs that inspired her to celebrate herself in a blog.

So that’s what I am going to do.

I am a Scottish-born lass from the clan McDonald, maiden name Donald.

My parents immigrated to Australia when I was just two years old so I feel pretty Australian!!

I was blessed to grow up in a loving household with all we ever needed. My Grandparents immigrated when I was in primary school and then we had even more love.

I grew up an avid reader and would read any books I could get my hands on, from The Sweet Valley Twins to Stephen King.

I had a great time in High School starting with a romance in year 8 that lasted until year 10…making us a kind of golden couple. My High School experience was capped off by making friends with a girl who is still my BFF today…and lives next door.

After high school I started a degree in Mass Communications…maybe I could be a journalist? It took me a couple of classes to realise that I hated annoying people…or even bothering them so I switched to English where I majored in Creative Writing (surprise, surprise) and coupled that with the more stable and career-orientated Public Relations.

As you can imagine there was only one class I really looked forward to…and I didn’t really make the most of my time at Uni. I spent most of it working all hours at my part-time job and had very limited contact time on campus.

I moved to London in 2001 where the love of my life had gone and we started the life-long task of learning to live in harmony with one another.

We had a lot in common, despite our differences and we both knew how to have a good time.

We also wanted to see the world and were fortunate enough to see quite a lot of it….without hanging out in youth hostels (cue massive debt but travel perfection).

I completed another degree in History and Political Science whilst I lived in London and held down a full-time job that bored the pants off me.

We returned to Perth via some very awesome destinations in 2003……

We were desperate to keep up the travelling but horrified at the massive cost that ensued getting anywhere from little ol’ Perth… it was totally worth it at the time….especially to get up close with things like this but…..

We gave up and bought an apartment….and travelled closer to home…..(a hardship)

We got married…..

Honeymooned…..

And swam with sharks….

I wrote a couple of (unpublished) novels….

Got pregnant…..

And had kids………

My life changed when I became a Mother but who I am did not. I lost a daughter at 32 weeks gestation (in between my two boys) and I was devastated but I am strong and I made her death mean something to me.

I live better because of her.

Ultimately I pinch myself  myself because I get to live the life I love.

Does this explain who I am?

Not really, but explains why I am who I am.

I am a woman who believes in love, feels love and has love.

I am a woman who is kind, dreamy and happy.

I am a woman with dreams of writing incredible novels…novels that will matter to the world and leave an impact.

I am a woman whose chest swells with pride when I think about my kids and whose heart bursts with happiness at the thought of my husband, family, friends and the life I have created.

I am a woman who wants fun, adventure. happiness, travel, laughter and love to follow me all through my days.

Even if I am not all of these things at all times, this is the essence of me.

[The good photos are by Dana Gallop of Bloom Pixels and Leon Mead (wedding shots)]