Life is a beautiful, challenging, freakin' mess - embrace every minute of it - and try Dorothy L

You may relate to this post- being in or having experienced similar life events. Or, these details may differ from your life demands, but we all face ups and downs and demands in different seasons of our life, so the principles of embracing, engaging, and always being open to learn apply regardless of your current situation.

We're (my husband and I) at that life stage where we still have one child living in our home and are also caring for my father-in-law, Neal. We are so very blessed that we were able to secure the house next door as his residence, making this whole set up much easier.

Reflecting on the tornado of events these past several months, I am blown away by the beauty of it all - despite all the pressures and roller coaster of decisions.

The opportunity to get to know my father-in-law better and to hear his life stories is a blessing beyond measure. We have access to his wisdom and dry humor and it is nothing short of wonderful.

I am currently working to build a large software platform with a partner and Neal has proven to be a font of business knowledge and insight - although the technology gap between our generations is significant - and humorous.

You see, Neal founded and built Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing from the ground up in 1954 from his parent's basement in Nebraska. The dressing is now a national brand found in every major grocery store across the United States. So, in a way, he understands start-up mentality and he is a serial entrepreneur with loads of experience, with both successes and failures. His unique advice and perspective is energizing. As a freelancer and entrepreneur myself, I so enjoy picking his brain and exploring ideas and strategy together.

So, life is hectic - really hectic. I am juggling clients, a start-up, motherhood, volunteer work, caring for my father-in-law, nurturing my relationship with my husband of 25 years, running an AirBNB (IN our house) and absolutely loving every blessed minute of this life - even when I do not pull it off gracefully.

Sometimes, when I feel overwhelmed, I step back and take stock of the beauty of this messy, demanding, roller coaster of life - and find the AWESOME - because it is always there. In the little things, the hugs from my daughters, my dogs' playful tail wagging, the stories from my father-in-law while I hold his hand in the hospital, the laughter and sharing with my Airbnb visitors, the kindness and strength in the man I love, grabbing a movie with my mom, sipping coffee with my friends, seeing the transformers Autobot emblems - that make me happy every time I get in Midnight (my car), silly things, important things - all of it worth embracing.

So keep learning, keep trying new things, stay open and lean into pain when it comes your way - because running from the chaos is never a good strategy. As a declaration of your decision to embrace life, I invite you to try Dorothy Lynch Salad Dressing - my favorite is to mix it with a little blue cheese dressing and enjoy a crisp salad with sweet and savory flavor bursts!