karen88

I am nothing special.

I am everything special.

My mother, the product of a dysfunctional family, ran from Connecticut with my father, a big nerdy Chemistry guy and ended up setting up shop in Texas. She raised my brother and me to be independent, strong, stand on our own two feet and paddle our own canoe.

‘Relatives are like fish – they go bad in three days.’ ‘You can choose your friends, but not your relatives’ were the mantras I grew up with.

And so, I looked under every rock for family and acceptance.

I am nothing special.

I am everything special.

My father got very sick when I was in Fifth Grade. Two years of hospitals, doctors, bills and shuffled out to neighbors. He got better, but lost his career. My mother became the breadwinner and did very well at it.

But there was no one at home.

When I first stumbled upon the Wild Woman Community, images of women with wanton hair, desperate eyes, mismatched clothes dancing menacingly passed through my mind, and I said to myself, ‘that’s not me.’

I was a wild child. But I am good now.

I am nothing special.

I am everything special.

Cool as a cucumber growing up, sneaking cigarettes, drinking Boones berry farm wine and kissing boys, wherever the line was, I pushed it in an act of universal defiance.

And one day on Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, I met my husband. Like a bolt of lightening, I knew this was who I was going to marry: the Italian American boy from New Jersey in pilot training for the Air Force.

Only neither of us had the tools to make it work.

If you don’t get it right the first time, try, try again.

Only it gets harder dragging along two children and an ill-fitting divorce.

I am nothing special.

I am everything special.

My Knight in Shining Armor, I was drowning, and he put his hand down to save me.

We looked up and asked the Gods for another child. He needed a purpose in life. I needed help.

And God answered immediately with not just one but two beautiful, incredible, amazing fantabulous daughters.

Along with my boys from my first marriage who are fiercely strong, old before their time, resilient and aware of my downfalls, but also aware that I will always be there for them no matter what, I stand in amazement that I have been given all four of my children.

But now it is time for me to heal.

And maybe I do belong to the Wild Woman Community.

One day back, I got to point in my life where I found myself at the same crossroads, only this time around, I would have four children with me and very little time, energy and sanity.

And I said enough.

I am nothing special.

I am everything special.

You may not get anyone’s approval,

But carve your niche.

Wherever and whatever that will be.

These days, I write in the morning to heal my soul.

And my friends come to my Moon Lodge every couple of weeks. Themes and ideas come from astrology, Christianity, Hinduism, Paganism – every which way as I believe there is One God One Divinity One Universe which runs through us all.

I slowly build my community of strong, nurturing, wise women who I call friends.

And Nature fills my soul. I live by the Fox River outside of Chicago, and most days you will find me barefoot and outside watching my children as they frolic, run, jump, leap and live through their childhood.

I am nothing special.

But my spirit is strong.

And my soul is wild

And it never let me forget

I am everything special.

BIO:

Karen Moon’s passion is helping other women to find, nurture and heal their own unique inner wild child so that as Mamas or Women they can best nurture, protect and grow their own children or fosterlings. She believes we must all find our own true paths, but also believes in the synchronicity of those placed on our paths to help each other and the importance of building a local support network. Nothing replaces face-to-face. Get out from behind your computer. Her writings can be found on her website https://foxrivermamas.com/ , in the Wild Women Community and on elephant journal. You can also connect with her through her personal face book page https://www.facebook.com/karenleemacg or group page https://www.facebook.com/groups/foxrivermamas/