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Mary Elizabeth
Mar 8, 2021
5 min read

Hi. I am Mary.

Our meeting is something I’ve dreamt about for many years. Being able to share the story of life has been a growing passion of mine for many seasons.

Before we settle into “Why start a blog?”, let's get acquainted.

Early September was the best time for us to adventure out from my childhood home along the Black- Eyed Susan fields down to the secret railroad path. This hidden passageway was often traveled by the four oldest sisters. Afternoons in Elkmont for the Jones girls meant exploring the old railroad and testing how long we could be away from home to develop our independence. Railroads and trains hold a strong presence in my life from my childhood adventures, to the first time I opened the book “Fried Green Tomatoes.” Exploring in the ruins of an old railroad, I never knew how those same explorations would carve out inspiration through books and a zeal for writing. Much like the characters of Whistle Stop, the train is a sign of the beauty in the running clock of life. Railroad tracks bring about uncertainty, which if you let it, guides us all to embracing a notable lesson along our path.

I am a southern lady from Alabama, living in the Sunshine State. I find so much joy in the place I live, from my original hardwood floors to neighbors I call family. In my small brick home, I have a room dedicated to writing handwritten letters. There is comfort in selecting the exemplary card and stamp that will travel from my heart to the next. Most of my cards arrive in Illinois, since my closest companion refuses to leave the snow for sunshine. I have a running group text with six amazing women. We challenge each other to always learn and grow, and what we share is a forever kind of thing. Remember according to Ninny the secret in life is “best friends”.

“Why would someone trust me with their time to read what I have to say?” These words have weaved throughout my thoughts as I consider the why behind the blog. As I spin around my why, I do hope you will set aside minutes of your day to read my thoughts, my stories, my truths. As I sat down and put my metaphorical pen to paper, I discovered I want to share my story and life, which led me to seek out my true self. My hope is that through my writing, you will be able to see a piece of yourself in my words, as I tell the stories of who I am growing to be and what anecdotes lay in my past.

As we get to know each other, my blogs will share what it was like to grow up and face opinions and ideas that failure is considered a sin or crime, and if you dared to go against a belief you were no match for religion. My best friend Johanna wrote me one time saying, the scars we wear can lead others to wonder, but in fact they are proof that healing is taking place and we are really living. Allowing your failure and your scars to be seen, no matter how you came to them, acutely provides US the leverage to be OURSELVES. Leverage first arrived in my life at age eleven, as the story I told myself was broken: Mary, you cannot read, stop faking it. In the future I will blog about my evolution from a little sister, to Aunt Sissy, and how having an older sister comes with many growing pains. Trust me I needed to learn some lessons, the growing pains were my deliverance.

You will quickly find that I am a romantic, and even after a divorce, I did not give up on finding myself and finding who I was meant to love. This blog was created in hopes that I will bring light or rebirth to your circumstances and to you. That together we will find ourselves by learning from our past stories and bravely holding the pen for our future selves.

Entering my ninth year as an educator, one of the profound things I learned is how to plan with the end in mind or embrace the end goal for yourself. Thinking about my end goal in starting this journey with you, I had several items that made my list of non-negotiables. Through the brainstorming process I turned to books, research, talking with friends and loved ones, and then writing and ugh…rewriting.

With the end in mind, my goal through this monthly blog is to reach someone. I am daring to embrace my full self: failures, success, heartbreak, career, family, friends, lovers, experiences, and even tragedies. My ambition is to be transparent and unguarded, which is puzzling for someone who feels unsafe and weak in the midst of vulnerability, in the dream of reaching others on their own personal journey.

My end goal is to empower and embrace you.

The inspiration for my monthly blog framework is derived from the book “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe” by Fannie Flagg. In the novel, we follow two sets of friendships that blossom and grow from the past and the present. The friendship of the past is told by Ninny. As she shares stories, they become a part of you as you read and learn about an unbreakable bond between two women, Ruth and Idgie. Each time I sit down with this novel or watch the 1991 film, I see something different and embrace a love for the characters even further. In the novel, my dearest Idgie is also known as a bee charmer by her closest companion, Ruth. We watch how Idgie navigates through life, by unconventional standards according to her Southern family and friends, but by staying faithful to herself no matter the sacrifice. And I, her fellow bee charmer, identify with her unconventional methods and embrace her navigation through life, TOWANDA! The way Fannie wrote a story of strong women finding themselves, is how I arranged the thoughts and stories for my blog. In this season together, I am going to use my past experiences to optimistically create a bond with you. Together, my wish is that we all pause and allow my experiences to be your support, your encouragement, your hope. Knowing that I love and admire you, even though we have never met.

I eagerly await the chance to share my heart, spirit, and soul with you.