A Monument of Sorts

Lets get nerdy here for a second and talk about monuments. Monuments have been used for centuries as a way for us to remember special events or important lessons that were learned. It seems to just be a natural human urge - to build something as commemoration. As a reminder. As a tribute.

I mean think about it, France gifted the U.S. the Statue of Liberty as a giant testament of friendship after the American Revolution so that we could always remember the alliance between the two countries and their common goal of "liberty for all". The Lincoln Memorial is a monument that has served the purpose of reminding the American people of the first president that took actionable steps towards racial equality and it helps us remember the painful American Civil War. At the hauntingly somber 911 Memorial, the two reflecting pools at ground zero of the World Trade Center help us to never forget the horrors of that day.

This is what we do as humans. We build monuments when big things happen. It helps us remember. It takes us back to a time and place - sometimes it's happy, sometimes it's sad, but it's always important.

I think my countertops have become a monument of sorts for me.

Every time I see them, I will remember how capable I am. I'll remember how far I've come. When I admire the hardwood, I'll get to remember the time when I chose to say "yes I can" instead of "no I can't". I'll get to touch and hold a thing that symbolizes the belief that I have in myself. This is a special season for me. I've come into my own in ways I didn't even know were possible. Much of my life has been spent making myself smaller - sometimes to make others feel more comfortable but sometimes because I didn't actually know how big I could be. This is the first time in my life that I'm allowing myself to be as big and strong and loud as I can just to see what happens.

I know I'm only going to keep progressing and growing but right now I'm standing at the beginning of the rest of my life and these countertops will always be here to remind me of this significant phase of my life and that's pretty special.