This is me but wow, it's a bit close up and personal in that photo. :0 However, I rarely wear makeup anymore and didn't want to go through the trouble of taking another photo, so this is what you get. My name is Stephanie, but you can call me Steph, and you can usually find me on my couch with a cat or two and definitely not wearing makeup or even dressed in anything other than sweatpants and oversized sweatshirts.
Like I mentioned on the front page of my blog, "Learning to Live Again" sounds a bit woo woo or attention-seeking but it's really what I'm doing day-by-day. After various careers (legal writing professor, professional writer, and business owner), I'm no longer working and my three kids are in their 20s. I'm 58 and my husband is still working so my days are my own and I'm so grateful for the freedom. But I also don't quite know who I am without kids at home or a career. I like to write and I like to create things so this is where I'm at - sharing what's going on as I figure out how to create a life after full-time parenting and working are over.
The title also refers to the life I'm trying to lead as I recover from multiple traumatic events that have happened in the past six years. I have PTSD and anxiety and take mental health issues very seriously. I'm a huge fan of therapy and have also found that medication is a tremendous help. Even with a support system, though, isolating myself has been my coping mechanism of choice but I'm trying very hard to change that. Learning to live with less fear and solitude is an ongoing process and I hope to write more about this process as the year unfolds.
