by Molly Jo Realy (@MollyJoRealy)

Come Alive and Stay Wild!
(Or, How a Missing FedEx and Crazy Hair Put Me Back on Track)

I was out with my girlfriends a few weeks ago, doing what we do. Eating. Talking. Planning. Shopping. Crafting. You know how we do.

So it wasn’t unusual when we hit up the craft store(s). That’s when the Bestie, the Seester and I parted ways to each conquer our own areas. We rallied at the checkout and I was reminded, by the incredibly huge bin of impulse-buy-me-now Ty Beanie stuffies, of how, for a while, I bought a new one each month and related it back to writing, social media, and marketing.

Frankly, My Dear . . . Come Alive and Stay Wild!
Frankly, My Dear . . . Come Alive and Stay Wild!

The Seester suggested I get a new one, seeing as how I’m relaunching the blog, being a published author and whatnot. Except *gasp* *gulp*. She held up a, a … I can’t say it. No, wait. Yes. You must know. A glittery unicorn. Unicorn. With glitter. I mean … just. NO.

I had to explain to her how I don’t do unicorns. Like, ever. (Cue Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Getting Back Together.”) But then, like a bad Taylor Swift lifestyle report, I turned around and there he was. This cute little lionicorn. At least, that’s what I call it him. For realz. But that… that horn. Ugh. Suck it up, girl. He ain’t that ugly.

Really, it was the crazy hair that got me.

So, this little crazy-haired lionicorn thing that adopted me at the third craft store of the day became my bag buddy and found his way to work with me the next day. I told my friend Knitting Nancy (okay, I know. She doesn’t knit, she crochets. But that sounds less poetic.) all about it and she named him. Right there. On the spot.

“His name is Wild.”

And I had to agree with her.

But wait, there’s more.

I mean, of course there is. ‘Cause I can tell y’all about the cute lionicorn Wild, but is that really the end of the story? If you have to ask, it’s like you don’t know me at all.

Cue the intro music.

I may have also indulged in a little Labor Day Happy Planner online sales event. And, long story short–Ha! Like I could do that! I tried to tell a short story once, but since I was speaking and not typing I couldn’t edit myself so this SS, as I like to identify them, came out in waves of interruptions and misdirections and … Oh. Right. The planner story. Sorry. #rabbithole

Well, I ordered some great Happy Planner gear to start the next year with, but it never arrived. Even when FedEx said it would. So I called and spoke to a woman named Iris. I remember her name because that’s the name of my cat. [Sidenote, y’all: Pray for Iris (the cat, not the person. Although the person may appreciate prayers, too. I dunno.). My Iris Cat is in a downhill health slide and I’m not certain what else to do as we’ve been to the vet three times in two months. Also, Thanksgiving is coming up and we all know my beloved felines tend to go Home on Thanksgiving weekend. Oops. That was another rabbit hole, wasn’t it? And my name’s not Peter Cottontail.]

SO. HAPPY PLANNER UPDATE: Iris the Person issued a second shipment with the apology that my first Planner was on backorder so she instead sent one of her personal favorites and hoped I would enjoy it.

GUESS. WHAT.

The cover states “STAY WILD.” Folks, I can’t make this stuff up! I mean, I could. But I don’t have to. Because it really happened!

Frankly, My Dear . . . Come Alive and Stay Wild!
Frankly, My Dear . . . Come Alive and Stay Wild!

And the last corner of this triangle of a story is that during the Girlfriends Outing (see Paragraph One above for details), we were also talking about our words/phrases/taglines for next year. Oh, don’t you pooh-pooh me (Yes, I know I spelled it like the bear, not the dung. That was on purpose!). You all know that each year a mantra of sorts finds it way to each of us as our yearly focus. The Seester has hers. The Bestie has options.

For this year, I chose Come Alive. But I chose it late in the year, and did little with it. Except what I did, how I took it to heart, what it means to me (complete with Hugh Jackman singing in The Greatest Showman); I want to keep it going. It’s not just a yearly mantra. It’s me. But what to add to it?

I had nothing. Nothing. Until Wild. And Happy Planners. And then, like a glorious Snickers bar collision with a glass of milk. Like thunder that answers the lightning. Like powdered sugar on a beignet, I have my mantra for 2020.

Come Alive and Stay Wild.

Betcha didn’t see that one coming, didya?

And with that, I present to you, the relaunching of Frankly, My Dear . . . the blog.

Would you like to win a $25 gift card to Michaels Arts & Crafts to buy your own Happy Planner? Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite friendship moments look like. [$25 Gift Card to Michaels will be awarded to one random winner from all qualified entry comments on or before October 5, 2019. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email to claim prize, or prize will be forfeited and another winner selected.]

With a wild heart and a planning page,
Come alive. Stay wild.
And always,
Savor the journey.
~M.

And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!

P.S.: Check out this official video from Fox Entertainment to see Hugh Jackson sing “Come Alive” in The Greatest Showman.

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