I am so honoured to receive the Versatile Blogger Award for Let ME Out!! Releasing Your Creative Self which I have proudly displayed over to the right.  I wear this badge gratefully knowing that a loyal reader, Denise DeSio, decided that my work here is deserving of it.  Denise has appeared on this blog as a guest and I have always appreciated her for the time she takes to leave comments here.  Thank you, Denise!  If you haven’t already visited her site or grabbed her book, Rose’s Will, please click over and say hello.

And now, as a recipient of this award, I am required to tell you 7 things about myself as well as pass on the award to 5 other deserving bloggers.

I’m thrilled to be able to share with you the following bloggers: some of whom I have recently met and immediately admired, and others I’ve been cheering on for a much longer time.  Each of these bloggers deserves a visit – their blogs all reflect different parts of us and I am sure you will find something in each of them that speaks to you.   Without further ado, here they are – in no particular order of fantasticness!

1.  Run with Zahida by Zahida Jaffer

2.  Lippy Girl Makeup by Darcey Diehl

3.  Breast Cancer at 40 by Rishma Dhalla

4.  Little Miss Mama by Tairalyn Ciulla

5.  Soul Speak by Jodi Chapman

And here we go…now I have to think of 7 things about myself that you might enjoy learning.

1.  When I was 8, I met this boy who wore bright orange soccer socks.  Barely friends, he made his claim that one day he would marry me.  We bumped into each other throughout the years and then ended up in the same college where I fell deeply in love with him.  We were married a few years later and recently celebrated 9 years of marriage.  Marrying him marked the beginning of my dream-come-true life.  Though there may have been times when I took this “luck” for granted, I have never been more fall-to-my-knees grateful for this man.

2.  Included in my dream-come-true life are my two children: my daughter, Inaya, is 5 and my son, Aariz, is 2.5.  They have been known to drive me crazy and yet, I fall in love with them more and more each day.  Each of them brought me huge gifts; I really don’t know who I would be without my daughter who brought writing and creativity back to me, and my son who taught me that there is nothing standing in my way of living a hugely fulfilling life.

3.  When I was in elementary school, one of the first books I ordered from the Scholastic newsletter was about the life of Nelson Mandela.  That’s a testament to that part of me that feels deeply for human rights.  Throughout my elementary and high school years, I read books on Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, slavery and related topics.  In high school, I volunteered my time with causes that touched my heart.  I belonged to clubs like International Issues Club and Environment Club at school, as well as found organizations like Tariq Khamisa Foundation and became involved in whatever way I could.

4.  I love the microphone.  As strange as that is for an introvert, there is this voice inside me that doesn’t want to shut up.  The microphone gives that voice presence…plus, it literally helps me be heard (I have a soft voice).

5.  I went through a gruelling Masters program and ended up with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2005, knowing all the while it wasn’t my true passion.  In 2012, I stepped up to my calling of being a writer, hung up my license as a speech therapist, and haven’t looked back.

6.  I can’t help loving God/the Universe/Nature.  I can’t seem to get mad at It no matter what I encounter on my path.  Everything I have endured, I have come out of stronger, wiser…and even more in love with my Source.

7.  My connections with the women in my life are invaluable to me.  My grandmother, my aunts, my cousins as well as my long-time friends mean so incredibly much to me that sometimes I could just burst with all this love.  And every year, I meet another woman or two who I can’t believe I haven’t known my whole life; some of them have come from my writing life and I think of them as my earth angels who are helping me understand and express that part of me.

Ok, there’s 7 things about me…I’m rather interested in learning something about YOU!  Please leave a comment and share something about yourself.  I would love to read it!

If you’d like to inspire others with this post, please pass it on with some social media love.  If you don’t see the buttons below, click on the title of this post and they will magically appear at the bottom.