About Me

“Wow. That sounded better in my head.”

How magical it must be to think before you speak. To pause, form a coherent thought, then share it instead of sharing with your audience, forming a coherent thought, then pausing as a hush falls over the room. Le sigh. Those people are as magical as unicorns to me.

My name is Tracey and even though I sometimes speak before I think, I love to think before I write.

Words have power. Whether they’re whether written, spoken, or sung, they have power. Anyone who buys into “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” either lives alone or is heavily medicated. They’ve probably never argued with me either.

Maybe it’s because I’m a first born, maybe it’s because I grew up in church, maybe it’s because of my insecurities, but I have lived most of my life trying to live up to what I perceived other’s expectations to be.

That’s exhausting.

Seriously. When did parenting become a competitive sport? Since when did loving Jesus mean you disliked everyone else?

I have 35 Pinterest Boards with 2813 pins. It’s a little much. I have baked, crafted, or produced maybe 100 of those pins – some were epic fails. My list of “do-over” moments with my children is as vast and eternal as my love for Denzel, I kick dropped ice cubes under the fridge, and I dim the lights so the dust doesn’t show. I’m cynical of whatever is popular so I may well be America’s oldest hipster and I love my dog more than I like most people. Left to my own devices, I eat like an alcoholic toddler – cheese and crackers and wine. Okay, mostly wine.

I’ve spent my life working for non-profits and in ministry, and all along the way I’ve been writing – I’ve even managed to get paid for it. You can see some of my freelance work here.

I’ve been married for 29 years, said painful goodbyes, beat cancer, and raised two amazing daughters. My husband is a pastor and a certified professional marriage and family therapist and together we’ve helped couples and families work through the challenges of staying in love, and not just survive parenting, but actually enjoy it. I’ve been a speaker, counselor, leader and friend in both my church and local community. I’ve written for parenting sites and have been a regular contributor to The Online Mom for seven years now.

Writing has always been my “go to”. I’ve kept diaries and journals and if you are ever down and in need of a laugh I highly recommend excerpts from my 4th grade journal, detailing my undying love for Morley Mac Neil. Spoiler alert, we both (happily) married other people – love can be complicated you guys.

Writing kept me sane when my kids were little. I’d write down the funny things they said and the crazy things no one tells you become normal for moms – “No! I do not want a teacup of water from the toilet.” “No, it’s not okay to tell Granny to ‘Get over it’.” “What do mean, you covered your sister in gasoline? (Put down the phone – it was Vaseline). Writing has helped me process my hurts, my disappointments, my victories that mattered only to me, and sometimes my battle with anxiety.

I’ve battled anxiety my whole life. Most of the time I’ve kept it under control and been healthy, and I credit that to my faith in Jesus Christ. Without the stability and peace that passes understanding, I’d be writing this from under my desk, not behind it. I think by honestly, authentically sharing my struggles and my victories you’ll find a little of yourself in my stories.

Good stories connect us – there’s nothing like that moment when you’re reading and think “Me too!” Some of those nearest and dearest to my heart are authors and bloggers I’ve never met.

I hope you feel that way when you read my work.

So, if you’re up for it, you can be dazzled by the wonder of my Tweets here or connect with me through LinkedIn here.

If you’re interested in connecting with me for editing or freelance writing services, you can email me at macleandowdy@gmail.com.