Oh. My. Word. Yesterday was a day for record books and bucket lists, I tell you. And by the end of it, the whole experience of traveling to see/hear Glennon speak in Omaha turned out to be even more amazing than anticipated (are you kidding me?! – p.s., you’re going to hear that a lot in this post – do you know how high my anticipation level was in the first place?!).

First of all, if you don’t know Glennon (and all you have to do is read a bit of her writing to feel like you’ve known her forever), you should check out her Facebook page and/or her blog, Momastery.com. I’ve been reading her stuff and watching her occasional videos for four years now, so when she walked out to begin last night’s program at Bennington High School, it truly felt like I was there to witness an old friend do what she does best. And G did not disappoint.

In the hour+ that she spent talking to us (all 650 of us!), there was laughter (Oh. My. Word. SO much laughter!), lots and lots of head nodding, several moments of watery-eyes, and – in my case – a ton of note-taking! Check it out:

Prior to arrival, I had no idea I would take notes, but when I found this blank half sheet on the back of my program I was instantly grateful for it and my good English teacher philosophy of always having a writing utensil handy because once Glennon started, I could not stop myself from writing down all of her amazing tidbits. And because they just kept coming and I just kept writing, I actually did two full (half) sheets, the second of which one of my friends slipped to me without my even asking because she noticed that my scribbling had totally filled up my own page already.

If you can’t zoom in on those images, no worries – I have a feeling I’ll be pulling from them and talking about them from time to time in future blog posts (giving credit where credit is due, of course) because last night gave me so, so much to consider and hit upon some points that are so near and dear to my heart. For now, I’ll share with you the one bit on those two pages that came from my own head and not just G’s mouth:

Stillness brings the pain but shows the way to peace. 

Perhaps this concept struck a chord with me because she was talking about yoga at the time (are you kidding me?!), but maybe it has just as much to do with the fact that I know I need/require/crave stillness in my life. Not because I want to be in pain, per say, but I know that when I am still, I give myself – my mind, my heart, my body – a chance to process what it needs. Stillness takes the swirlies away and leaves me with a sense of calm understanding that I very much need to make space for in my daily life. So yes – bring on the stillness, even if doing so is not an easy process because from there comes growth and peace.

Also amazing about this not-so-little adventure last night was the group of friends I shared it with and how the stars aligned so beautifully for our evening. While six of us traveled together from Hastings yesterday afternoon, one dear friend was already in Omaha for the day and she managed to get in the door right as they opened and she got the seven of us seats in the second and third rows! Are you kidding me?! So when G came out, we were right there! And when G was done and they announced that a line would form on the gym floor for hugs/photos, we were right there!

So, like the calm, patient, polite grown women that we are, we decided to go for it. Are you kidding me?! Most of us were total fan girls last night and my friend, K? She LEPT out of her seat to get in line, landing us spot number 3 or 4 in the hug/photo line and it was freaking awesome. We got hugs and pictures and my heart was so full by the time we left that place, it was ridiculous.

When I first bought the tickets two months ago (Irony Alert: when we got to check-in, my name was not on the list! everyone else I had booked a ticket for was good to go, but I was not. I had to show my email receipt of payment with my name and so it was very much not a problem, but what?! thank the stars above that was our only snafu of the night.) and started asking who might like to come along, none of us had any idea how it would all play out. Busy mamas trying to get to Omaha on a Tuesday night does not make for an easy task, but all of us were well convinced that it was worth it when it was said and done. OK – I got home to an awake and crying baby (at 11:45 p.m.) who was then up again at 3:45 a.m., so I am feeling it today, but still worth it to have heard all the amazingness of Glennon’s talk and to have met a woman/writer/human whom I very much admire.

So if I’m all “G said this” and “G said that” for the next few weeks, my apologies. And also, my you’re welcomes, because she is legit and more than worthy of sharing!