What Defines You?

Every now and again, that timeless ice breaker conversation pops up.  "Who are you?  What defines you as a person?"  There's the average, go-to answers: I'm a wife, a mom, a good friend, etc.  And I am all of those things, per titles given to me, but is it really what defines who I am as a person?  I'm a good friend, but why am I good friend?  I'm a mom, but what kind of mom?  I'm married, but how do I make my marriage work?  I feel like the answers to those questions offer up more of a clearer picture of what truly defines me. 

I'm optimistic, loving, patient, kind, understanding, compassionate and open-minded.  I love Jesus and try to live my life the way He would want me to live it, but I fail miserably and often.  I'm passionate, opinionated, shy, old-fashioned and motherly.  I'm socially awkward and don't feel like I fit in, but very friendly and polite.  I'm silly, funny and smart.  I stutter when I'm nervous, uncomfortable or overwhelmed.  I snort when I laugh really hard. 


I love my husband.  I love that people gasp when they learn about how young we were when we married and how long we've been happily together.  I love that people smile when we tell them about our old-fashioned views on marriage and love.  I adore the way he drives me insane but makes me so happy within the same moment.  I love the way he makes me laugh when all I wanna do is be upset.  And the way that he stands beside me even when I'm in the wrong..... melts a girls heart.  I love that he's an old-fashioned gentleman with real manners; and not just because that's what he was taught, but because that's what he truly believes is right.

 I love my children.  I love the adventure of being a parent.  I love that you can make mistakes and keep moving forward; sometimes learning and growing more from the mistakes than from the things that just come naturally.  I love that when I'm away from them, I want nothing more than to hear about their day or to watch them interact with their friends.  I love that when I'm with them, they smother me with so much affection and love that I'm overwhelmed by it.  I love that their smile and their laugh can make me happier than anything else on this planet.

What defines me?  It's not that I'm a wife or a mother.  It's not my job and it's not who I associate with.  What defines me is how I live each day within those titles and within my life.  I was Glenna long before I was a mother or a wife.  Those things are certainly a part of me and helped me to evolve from a young girl to a strong woman.  But at the core of it all, I'm still me and I am what defines all of those things; not the other way around.  And I'm happy with that.