Welcome to Hello, Splendor's first Blog Crawl! Created by Beth Dotolo, this blog crawl is designed to help bloggers meet and get to know each other better through storytelling. Each blogger's story should include the author, the setting, the characters, the plot, and the twist.Many bloggers who have gone before me really do have some amazing stories, be sure to read Jessica's story at Lavender and Lillies and tomorrow stroll over to Connie's at Sogni e Sorrisi
Thanks again Beth for allowing me to take part in such a fun project! Here goes...
So what can I say... I hate to sound cliche, but there's no place like home. I was born and raised in Atlanta and though I've lived in other cities, there's no other place more suited for this sweet Georgia peach. I can navigate this city with my eyes closed and can give a guided tour that would rival anything given by the visitors bureau. I grew up in the Peyton Woods Neighborhood and went the high school known for having the "prettiest girls." Up and down Peachtree, my friends and I have shopped, dined, worked, clubbed and of course covered for each other when necessary. The friends I've met in Atlanta can never be replaced for we are more like family. We've shared so much over the years and have a friendship that is rooted and grounded in love.
On December 17, 2005, I married my best friend. No, not one of these gals, but a wonderful man named Chris and a few months later started my business, Erika Ward Interiors. Traveling the world with my new hubby and working in a field I loved, life was good and full of promise. Eight months after being married, I learned that we were pregnant with twins. Although I felt great the entire pregnancy I was on strict bed rest for four months. April 2007, I gave birth to two healthy and beautiful babies and that's we life came at me...and fast. December 2007, my mother suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm and RECOVERED! Around this time, I became pregnant with my third child. The twins were only nine months old. September 2008, I gave birth to another beautiful baby, this time a boy. In July of 2009, I started this blog and reconvened with my business.
I hope you are following the dates, because I'm finally getting to the climax of the story. In just short of 5 years, I got married, started a business, moved, cared for a deathly ill parent, started a job, quit a job, and had three babies. Again, life came at me fast and I thought I would lose my mind. I think I did twice...
But through it all, I had the four friends (above) who supported me each in their own way and sustained me so that I am here today and still standing. There is one other friend who is a bit squeamish about being mentioned on the internet, you know who you are! I'm talking about you, too! Fast forward to the present, I'm doing much better now and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Aside from us being best friends, we have all (except one) left corporate jobs to become entrepreneurs. In addition to giving each other moral support we also act as a think tank to develop ideas and serve as accountability partners in regard to our individual business endeavors. Excuse me if I sound pompous, but if I know one thing for sure it's that we all are going to succeed. There's no room for failure, especially when you have a safety net of fiercely loyal friends who will never let you fall.
Do you have network of friends/family that support and believe in you? If not, how do you encourage yourself when you are alone?
