HERE I STAND...
As I Find My Voice
As the BIG 5-0 approached, I summoned the courage to take a stand, face fears, and use my voice to advocate for myself and others. At last, I am ready to boldly say how I truly feel: vulnerable, anxious, and, at times, uncertain about the next steps. I feel a call to share the joy and the challenges of positive aging, relationships and marriage, career changes, parenting, and coming out of the faith closet - all while showing love for all people. The easy part is loving Kahlua - the greatest dog in the world.
...Mother, Occupational or CranioSacral Therapist, UX Designer, Writer, Podcaster, USMC/Veteran Spouse, Prayer Warrior, Global Traveler or Friend.
My heart beats for helping others,
to know you are not only heard, seen, and loved but especially to know that you are not alone.
Connecting with people is one my greatest joys in life.
Talking out real problems and creating solutions—whether in therapy, design, marriage, or parenting—with friends or clients who are walking through life in a fog and in the thick of similar situations sparks my interest and attention.
- Am I alone in feeling and thinking like this?
- Is there a place where brave people share their experiences to encourage others?
- When you feel like you are stuck in the pit or in the depths of the valley, who supports you on the climb out towards the mountain top?
- Who cheers you on with love?
These are the questions I would like to explore with you.
Let us journey together.
Listen In and Know You Are Not Alone!
Creative and compassionate, the words that best describe me are a combination of nature and nurture. My parents were from Philadelphia, but I was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina. A passion and unquenchable thirst for lifelong learning and creating connection with others. As the youngest of four, I developed a keen sense of observation and an empathetic soul for listening, helping, and bridging the gaps that divide people. Here is my story.
As a young teenager, I experienced my parents' divorce when it was far less common than it is today. This fueled my motivation to change the trajectory of my future to explore more of the world. I attended the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham, NC, where I met some my dearest friends to this day.
Later, I earned a B.A. in Design from North Carolina State University. After graduation, not knowing what to do with my life, I waited tables in London, and one fateful day, I learned about Occupational Therapy (OT), an Allied Health Profession helping people of all ages become more independent in their work, play, and self-care activities of daily living. Eventually, I earned a Master of Science in OT from UNC Chapel Hill. If you are from NC, you will appreciate that my degrees came from universities with intense rivalries.
In June 1996, I dropped off my Marine to deploy for six months and cried as I drove the 3 hours to my OT graduation ceremony alone. I had been married for only four weeks and was about to embark on the most extraordinary adventure of my life. Some people assume that I knew what I was getting into… Um, I had no real clue.
Satisfying my passion for travel and exploration to experience over 50 countries on 6 continents.
Seeking a sense of purpose, I pursued personal, professional, and spiritual growth, became a world-class packing and logistics coordinator, made incredible friends around the globe, and landed in Colorado (with a breath-taking view of the Rocky Mountains)
The Writing, Midlife Connection Podcast, and UX Design adventures were born out of a desire to be brave, walk in faith, and model for my children what it means to step way out of a comfort zone to both stimulate my creativity and maintain my sanity during an unprecedented and crazy year (2020)!
- Creative? Yes!
- Stimulating? Absolutely!
- Scary? You bet!
- Ready, set, let’s go for it!
CONTACT
hillarybaggett@gmail.com
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