You can have roots and wings

One of my very favorite movies that I have watched at least a hundred times is Sweet Home Alabama. As Melanie (played by Reese Witherspoon) goes back home to Alabama to confront her past, so she can marry her new and dreamy boyfriend from New York City (played by Patrick Dempsey), she discovers that you can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl. Her first love Jake reminds her one evening that she can have roots AND wings... she can have BOTH.

As we start a new year, we see so many posts about New Year, New You! New Year, New Goals and Dreams! As a long-time dreamer and goal-setter and as someone who is always looking to learn and grow and become a better version of myself, I am also reminded by this movie that we can have BOTH. We can be this AND that. We can have deep, deep roots AND also wings that fly.

For example...

I can be deeply rooted in my country upbringing AND choose to live in a larger town with neighbors and safe roads for running.

I can have a day job as a nurse practitioner AND pursue a side hustle.

I can be a good mom AND also work and have a career and passions of my own.

I can not look like a typical runner AND run marathons.

I can not be an influencer or a published author AND still write and self-publish books.

I can love and accept my body AND work to become stronger, leaner, and faster.

I can be happy with how far I've come AND still want to learn and grow and change.

I can have friends I deeply care about AND want to meet new ones too.

I can love where I live AND want to travel and see the world.

I can be Lululemon on bottom AND and country denim on top.

I can be BOTH and you can too!

Just because we are pursuing something different, just because we love to grow and change, even though we have big dreams and audacious goals, it doesn't mean we aren't also deeply rooted in other ways. We can have roots AND wings.

Cheers to all your hopes and dreams, new year's resolutions, goals and plans for 2022. May you fly like an eagle while also staying deeply rooted like an oak tree. Don't forget that you can be BOTH.

~ Allison

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