The Zucchini Sisters Story
What are you afraid of? Failure? Judgement? The unknown? Not being good enough? For me, it’s all of those things associated with what I’m doing right now – starting this blog. But here I am! Writing my very first blog post! And it all started with my Mom and me…the original Zucchini Sisters.
When I was a child, my Mom and I would play a game in the kitchen where she’d twirl me around and gently toss me in the air. We called ourselves “the flying Zucchini Sisters”. Two decades later, when I was in my late twenties, we opened a gift shop by the name The Zucchini Sisters. We were open less than a year, but we had great fun, met some wonderful people and learned a lot. Looking back, I have no regrets. In fact, I’m so grateful for this experience. Sadly, my Mom passed away in 2010 from ovarian cancer. We were extremely close, and I’m proud to say I’ve inherited her passion for decorating and her love of old things. I can only hope that I pass it along to my daughter, as well.
Unfortunately, I didn’t inherit my Mom’s sense of fearlessness. She did some really brave things in her life, and she was always “thinking big”. My Dad has described her as a risk taker. In the 1970’s, she bought a 1790’s cape for $1000 that needed to be moved to a new location and completely restored. That house became our home. In the 1980’s she applied for a job to which she had no experience, as a recycling coordinator. She got the job and became a local authority in the field of recycling. And in the mid 2000’s while in her late 50’s, she started graduate school (with me) to earn a master’s degree in social work. Despite being diagnosed with stage 3 cancer midway through the program and starting treatment, she earned her degree and was able to work briefly as a therapist. And of course, there was the gift shop, too.
So, this blog and my fledgling business will be a tribute to my Mom and her bravery and passion for decorating. I’ve wanted to start a home decorating blog for years, but my lack of photography and technical skills has made it feel like an impossible dream…until now. It finally occurred to me that I’d be a true failure if I never even tried. So I took some photography courses and signed up for an online blogging course. I’m still scared s*#tless, but I’m doing it anyway!
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the fear of doing something is much worse than the actual event itself. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit my best friend, Meredith, who was living in Minnesota at the time. The catch? I had to fly…BY MYSELF. For one, I hate flying, but I’d never flown anywhere alone. I had terrible anxiety leading up to this trip, but I was determined to go. As a licensed therapist, I knew my fears were irrational. Instead of allowing myself to worry incessantly, I reminded myself over and over that air travel is safer than driving. I told myself that I could do it and I wouldn’t freak out on the plane. Was I anxious? Yes. Did I empty my colon in the airport bathroom? Umm, Yes. But in the end, the flight wasn’t that bad. And I had a fabulous trip. But the best part? How good it felt to overcome my fear of taking this trip alone. I did it!
My Mom used to say “the Zucchini Sisters will rise again one day”. If she were here, I have no doubt that we’d be working on another creative business together. Hopefully my daughter will have an interest in being a Zucchini Sister when she grows up. But for now, it’s up to me to channel my Mom’s confidence and follow my dreams.
Please come join me on this journey! Let’s push past our fears and make our homes beautiful and dream big together! I want you to feel inspired to pursue your own creative endeavors and perhaps entrepreneurial aspirations, even if it seems scary. If you have the desire, then just go for it! Stop listening to the negative voices in your head that say you’re not a crafty person. Don’t worry what others will say. What’s the worst that can happen? If it doesn’t work out as planned, at least you tried and learned something about yourself. And that, my friend, is a reason to hold your head high. Are you ready? Me too. Let’s do this!!!
