my sparkling truth: confessions, a single mama and the road trip

this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of glaceau fruitwater®.

to say that life has thrown me a few curve balls in the past couple years would be an understatement. since our sites popularity has grown, i struggle with how much of my private life i am willing to talk about. it scares me a little lot to open myself up to criticism or simple opinions. when glaceau approached me to write about my "sparkling truth" (a moment when you sparkle through unexpected challenges, brushing yourself off in a bubbly style) , i knew i would have to be brave and let you all into more of the reality of my life. 

let's just say that i am not where i thought i would be in my life at 38. i never thought i would be a single mama. just saying the words makes me want to cringe. don't get me wrong, i always admired single moms....i just never was going to be one. i remember seeing a single mother and thinking "wow---i could never do that".....and then that is exactly where i found myself. alone with two little boys. i would have thought i would be more bitter than i am...even angry perhaps. that's not to say that i haven't had my moments, but my natural instinct was one that i didn't expect. i put a smile on my face and make life seem as "normal" as i can for my two boys (now 3 and 5). my "i could never do that" turned into a reality and the awesome news/silver lining/ sparkling truth is that i found out that i am a whole lot stronger than i thought i was.

a week ago was my wedding anniversary. not the first since our separation, but it was the first since the divorce became final. i didn't know how much it would affect me-- what a painful reminder it would be to me of the failure of our marriage. it hit me like a ton of bricks.

i decided to do something i *never* thought i could do and i packed up the boys and headed out on a road trip to visit my sister and her family. 8+ hours in a car. alone with the littles. the idea was daunting, but i didn't allow myself much time to think about it. we made it from san diego to sacramento and then i practically held my breath for a week hoping that we would survive the return trip. we did. the boys were truly amazing and i returned feeling like i could take on the world. i, for a moment, allowed myself to acknowledge this very big accomplishment and give myself a pat on the back. i did it. 

life may have thrown me a few curve balls, but i now know what my sparkling truth is: not only will i survive, i will thrive. i really *can* do this! it may not have been my "dream"---- this life i have now is not one that is tied up with a big red bow and a white picket fence....but i am so very thankful for it. i am blessed with two unbelievable boys and have also learned that i have some pretty amazing friends and family that i can depend on and trust in more than i ever knew. dare i say that in spite of all the heartache i am actually happy? maybe not as happy as i could be....but i am finding the blessings in each day and know that life is only going to get better from here. i have my days that are hard, but overall i am now a happier, healthier and stronger version of myself.

the awesome people at glaceau were kind enough to send me some of their fruitwater. glaceau fruitwater® is a great tasting, naturally flavored sparkling water beverage that contains no juice. i brought them with me on the trip and the sweet, sparkling water gave me all the energy i needed to make the voyage there and back. my favorite is the orange mango, with the lemon lime a close second. glaceau fruitwater® is available in the following flavors: black raspberry + other natural flavors, orange mango flavored + other natural flavors, strawberry kiwi flavored + other natural flavors, lemon-lime flavored + other natural flavors and watermelon punch flavored + other natural flavors.

glaceau fruitwater® is a great tasting, naturally flavored sparkling water beverage that contains no juice.

now that you’ve read about my “sparkling truth”, it’s time to share yours! a sparkling truth is a moment when you sparkle through unexpected challenges, brushing yourself off in a bubbly style. how do you sparkle on when life throws you a curve ball? leave a comment on this post or jump in the conversation on social media by tagging your amplification with the hashtag, #sparklingtruth.

visit http://fruitwater.com for more information and to help you discover your favorite sparkling truths.

this is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of glaceau fruitwater® but all opinions are all my own.