The cuddle trick didn't work. I laid in bed thinking about what I had just written, fearing that my words might sound harsh or be misunderstood. I've gotten some very encouraging feedback this morning, so maybe my fears were mostly unfounded. I still want to clarify a couple things.

There are several people - mostly women - in my life that "get" me. They are an integral part of my life and they understand my thoughts and feelings. For the most part anyway. I am deeply grateful for and appreciative of these people, because they encourage, challenge, and uplift me without feeling pity or holding me in unreasonably high esteem. I need you guys! We all need people in our lives to build us up and journey with. I absolutely need that when we're in a valley; but I still want to be looked at as a normal mom and woman who has simply chosen, by the grace of God, to walk with Him and allow Him to carry me through. [That doesn't sound like much walking on my part.] I want my life to be about weakness and surrender, not strength and independence; because then it's God who is doing and dealing, and it's His glory that is apparent. I am often so bad at this kind of living, but that's what I desire. And what makes me just like everyone else is the fact that I need people in my life that will do this with me. People (women) that are committed to a life of surrender, that will encourage me in mine - as well as all the daily, ho-hum, normal mom/wife kind of stuff - and that will share the journey with me. I'm finding more and more that this is such a huge part of the Body and how we should be functioning. Together.