Since the days as a pigtailed pipsqueak, I was a walking contradiction. Sassy, yet sweetly insecure. A sparkly girly-girl but sprinkled with a tad o’ tom-boy for good measure. 

Maybe you were a contradiction, too. 

Anything pink made my Lipsmacker’d mouth smile. Yet I’d chase anything creepy and crawly. Sparkly stuff or dainty dohickeys? Caught my attention. Yet anything rough or daring, I’d dive in. 

And Cinderella with her dark-haired prince led to daydreams about the ‘what-ifs’ of romance to come. But, then again, I wasn’t above fighting a boy.

One of my first admirers in the pigtailed days? He’d punch my leg to get attention. Once his ‘affection’ led to a bruise, he soon learned I lived with older brothers. 

Not that they handled the situation. My confused Casanova ceased punches (and admiration) once I finally hit him back. 

Fast-forward 38 years. I’m still a walking contradiction. You may be, too. My suggestion? Own it. Our inner contradictions teach us to adapt—and to blaze our own trails. Love who you are.

Life changes. Routines alter. Surroundings switch. But who is at our core? Is as constant as Cupids arrows soaring among hopeful hearts in February. 

The last few years have continued whirlwinds of change in my world. I’ve slowed from fast-paced knee-high boots and sparkled stilettos to slippers and sandals. Instead of being in a corporate boardroom or fast-paced photoshoot? I write at my home desk. 

I’ve digressed from early morning showers, full makeup and hair—to tossing the locks in a knot at top of my head ‘til I shower the next day, maybe. 

I’d transformed my wardrobe from faux leather pants to yoga-wear. And I’d forgotten HOW to get ready the way I’d so methodically repeated for years. 

Life is a funny repetition. Until it’s not. 

Sass may lose its spark. Ambition may be thwarted.

Until it all returns. Because it will.

When these reprieves occur, it’s a gift for internal healing. A forced introspection, full of eye-opening, baffling moments as much as laughs. But the result? Hope. Understanding. And above all? Self-love—and, consequently, a desire to give back. To tell those who need to hear it: you are not alone. You are powerful. You are special, just as you are. 

February can be a tough month for many. Hang in there. Smile. Remember this: There are seasons in life when we are intended to recuperate. To rest. To reevaluate our worlds. There are seasons for slippers—but these periods of time? They’re likely short-lived. 

So bring back the stilettos. Slide back into the funky faux leather pants. Sharpen the eyeliner—and yes, bring back your sparkles, baby. 

In February it’s time to create your own sunshine from within. Send sparks flyin’ with your spouse or partner. And remember how to sparkle—because you are, indeed, a precious gem.