Welcome to my blog
Hi there! I’m so happy you stopped by! I’m Grace or Grace-Valerie to be exact – the Catholic boss lady, momma bear and blog slayer behind Prayer & Passports. I playfully say I’m graceful-ish … because we all have our moments? And that’s okay.
So, maybe you’re asking yourself “who is the chick behind the blog?”
In a nutshell, I’m an opinionated, age agnostic, cradle Catholic rebel on a mission to hashtag my life’s story with #GraceOnFire #ItsNeverTooLate. And I’m breaking all the rules about “women of a certain age”… what ever that means! 🙂
My love for writing began at a very young age; but, it was to be an on again, off again romance. I was a busy girl climbing the corporate ladder. No time for the written word unless it was in the form of an action plan or IDP.
Decades later, I’m engrossed in an Oprah Winfrey episode of Super Soul Sunday, captivated by the words of an up and coming business man. He had a vision and I had the inspiration to publish on his social media site, LinkedIn. Sprinkle in some devout Godly experiences and voilà here we are today.
But, that’s just the writer in me. Who am I really?
Hi, I’m Grace
I am a woman who reinvents herself and refuses to age. And that is because growing older is indeed inevitable, aging on the other hand — is a whole other story!
Today, the grays are masked by highlights, the fine wrinkles dealt with by Senior Good Genes and Don Botox has definitely stepped in to help slow down the clock just enough for me to get comfortable in my own skin. Can you relate?
And yes, I look “younger than I am” but hey, cut me some slack, like most women, I have trouble taking a compliment without thinking “you don’t get to co-author my life if I don’t tell you how old I am”.
I wrote my first manifesto on the onset of that pivotal 50th birthday. Defiantly, I swore that I would focus on the annual wave of accomplishments, not the number of candles on a cake.
Thus far, “Ageless Living”is a 3 part series. And I’m happy to report – so far, so good.
In retrospect – I am ageing quite gracefully, no pun intended and have accomplished quite a bit in these ageless years. I spend less time counting candles on the proverbial birthday cake and more on celebrating blessings.
I got my first tattoo at 48.
I ran my first half-marathon at 49.
I’m on my 5th or 6th passport, totally lost count.
I found my way back to God at 50! Praise be, it’s never too late.
And when you peel those layers back you see a mom, sister and daughter. I’m a friend. I’m a Catholic woman who strayed away and came running back. I’m a cat lady. I’m an ex-wife… two times over. I’m glass half full. I’m a leader. I’m inspiring. I’m sarcastic, saucy and sassy. I’m funny. I think my ass is too big. I’m confident. I’m insecure. I’m smart. I’m stupid about world geography. I’m a minimalist in the making. I own too many shoes and way too many white shirts. I’m the girl that orders a diet coke with some crazy high caloric side dish.
My closet is color coordinated. My make-up drawer is a hot mess. I love lashes, lipstick and sunglasses. I love coffee, a good cortado to be exact. I love to travel. I love to read because I love to learn. I love watching movies, but musicals are my all time fav. The list goes on and on. I’m 100% relatable. And I’m happy.
I’m a story teller and I’m on a journey; it’s a human experiment of sorts. We will talk about my way back to Him and my exciting life as a Catholic girl boss. I’ll reference scripture, mass and all that is holy. You’ll hear about my loves: God and a perfect trifecta of children, furry babies and traveling. We’ll talk shop. And I’ll even vent every so often.
I have created the life that I want and deserve. And so can you.
Follow my journey. It’ll be fun!