A sweet friend once told me, “I feel so much better about my parenting after spending time with you.” Ummm…thank you?
Two interpretations came to mind:
I was failing miserably and setting the bar really low.
In spite of my struggles, I encouraged her by being authentic and full of hope.
As an unabashed optimist I chose to believe the second one.
Raising children is teaching me that tidy edges do not exist. Crisp lines and perfect hems? I doubt it. Life is messy. Me. Him. Them. Us. Accepting that makes it so much easier.
I am trying to embrace life with frayed edges and exposure. It fits me.
Striving to be less frayed would be uncomfortable and inauthentic.
And I am trying not to be frayed and raw with my people at home but polished and perfect for the world. I struggle with the tension of this. Maybe you do too?
Why the name Lightly Frayed?
My first choice of a blog name was Frayed but Unafraid. But when I went to buy the domain, and smushed the words together, I could only see tuna.
frayedbutunafraid
You see it too, right? I don’t even like tuna. Just. Couldn’t. Do. It.
And maybe the reality is that we can be Frayed and Afraid, and still thrive as Moms.
My desire is that my coping strategy (humour) will help lighten the load of other women needing encouragement. So I landed on (drum roll….) Lightly Frayed. Frayed enough to be accessible and real. Light enough to be a place of hope and humour. Even when life unravels.
I present version 752 of a blog name I hope will be welcoming, memorable and easier to spell than Karen Gauvreau.
After writing for over a year, I’m humbled by the encouragement of readers:
Your writing is both hilarious and challenging – thanks for putting words to things we often think but don’t have the courage to say ….the world needs your words…thanks for being a voice ❤️ Jess
How are you not a New York Times Bestseller yet? You are the best daughter a Mom could ask for (don’t tell your sisters). Anonymous
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED your post about motivating teens and I don’t even have a teen yet. My oldest is 8 but it’s something I want to keep as a resource for later. It’s that good. You have a new subscriber today. Jocelyn
Posts that other Moms find encouraging:
Get comfortable and stay as long as you’d like.
Hey, there! I'm Karen. I believe small parenting pivots have profound results. Like relaxed shoulders and more tender moments with your kids - yep, even the teen kind. Sign up for weekly. faith-filled emails to do this together, and I'll send you a free copy of my 6 Simple Ways to Keep Calm cheat sheet. Come on over »
I love your blog, your blog name, saw tuna (too bad – that was a sweet play on words), and most of all to find a blogger in my own province. Yay! 🙂 Your posts are so timely. I am a first time grandma, but still enjoy learning about parenting. Keep writing, dear friend. There is such a need. God bless your efforts 100-fold! 😉
Hi Darlene – thanks for coming by and for the encouragement. Most importantly – congrats on being a new grandma AND from Ontario. What a combination! I have a lot of readers who are grandmas – so come by anytime. Offer your wisdom and spread the word that we can be frayed and still filled with hope.
Hi Karen! I have never joined in on a blog before, so thank you for inviting me! Looking forward to reading more and for the learning and growing that I’m sure to do as I navigate life with our soon to be seven year old!
You’ve paved a great road…happy writing!
Hey, it’s Lindsey from EBA. I hopped over here to see what you’re up to! This blog looks really interesting! I like how everything is so organized and the drop-down menus make it easy to navigate. Do you have social media links anywhere or a way to follow you on WordPress? I couldn’t find any.
What is it about four kids that makes us require laughter to stay sane? Love the honestly and the humour. My boys definitely keep me looking for the laughter. We are part of a really great club. I just started blogging and I look forward to comparing notes.
Lovely blog name and SO Exciting! Love your writing and can’t wait to read MORE!
Thanks Marisa. Here’s to women trying new things this year.
Hi Karen!
I love your blog! Thank you for being so authentic about parenting. I look forward to reading more!
Danielle
That means a lot Danielle. Glad to have you over here. Never a dull moment in this journey, is there….
Really enjoying the blog! Positive words of inspiration and great ideas in navigating parenthood with a 21st century style. Love it! Well done!
Thanks so much for chiming in, Gillian. There is no shortage of negativity online, so I hope this will be a cyber breath of fresh air!
I saw the ‘tuna’ too…lol
I always knew you’ve got loads of talents hidden in you 🙂
M enjoying it already!!
Thanks
Thanks for always being a cheerleader Ayo 😉
I am so excited to have found you at the beginning of your journey with Lightly Frayed!
I think it’s a fabulous name (and yes, I saw tuna too!!)
So nice to connect with you too, Lisa. Blasted tuna!
I love your blog, your blog name, saw tuna (too bad – that was a sweet play on words), and most of all to find a blogger in my own province. Yay! 🙂 Your posts are so timely. I am a first time grandma, but still enjoy learning about parenting. Keep writing, dear friend. There is such a need. God bless your efforts 100-fold! 😉
Hi Darlene – thanks for coming by and for the encouragement. Most importantly – congrats on being a new grandma AND from Ontario. What a combination! I have a lot of readers who are grandmas – so come by anytime. Offer your wisdom and spread the word that we can be frayed and still filled with hope.
Hi Karen! I have never joined in on a blog before, so thank you for inviting me! Looking forward to reading more and for the learning and growing that I’m sure to do as I navigate life with our soon to be seven year old!
You’ve paved a great road…happy writing!
Hi Denise – thank you for joining the Lightly Frayed community. I hope it will be a place of fun and encouragement for you as a Mom.
Hey, it’s Lindsey from EBA. I hopped over here to see what you’re up to! This blog looks really interesting! I like how everything is so organized and the drop-down menus make it easy to navigate. Do you have social media links anywhere or a way to follow you on WordPress? I couldn’t find any.
Hey Lindsey – great to hear from you. You should be able to see links to facebook and pinterest version for Lightly Frayed.
What is it about four kids that makes us require laughter to stay sane? Love the honestly and the humour. My boys definitely keep me looking for the laughter. We are part of a really great club. I just started blogging and I look forward to comparing notes.
Welcome to the club! So fun to have a kindred, laughter-seeking Mama here for the journey. Solidarity!