My Aunt Nancy came to visit over Thanksgiving, and she brought with her a stack of old photo albums. And, when I say old, I don’t mean 1995 old. I mean 1895 old. I mean black-and-white old ... blow-the-dust-off-the-album old ... imagine-what-times-were-like-back-then old.
    We spent the better part of an afternoon poring over the delicate, age-worn images, each one more fascinating than the next. Page after page was filled with photographs of my extended family members, related by a web of family tree branches too intricate to dissect.

We have a tradition at the Haugen home. It’s called a HauWow. After the kids’ baths and before their bedtime, we gather in a circle on the floor and discuss our days. Whoever has the football gets to talk about his (or her) day while everyone else listens. When the person speaking is finished, the floor opens up for questions (which are often quite colorful with three boys ages 8, 6 and 3). HauWows are our way of sharing our stories with each other. They keep us connected. They are something we enjoy doing together, something we look forward to.

They are words oft spoken: “Count your blessings.” That’s easy, especially in times like these with an unsettled economy and a politically divided nation. Simply having a job or a home or a steady income are obvious blessings. But, what about the not-so-obvious ones? The aptly named blessings in disguise ... the events that seem so difficult only to later reveal a greater good? The experiences that make no sense at the time but that later unveil their true meanings ...

Here we are in the fourth issue of Her Nashville (I know, right?), and this is the best issue yet because we’re getting naked. Keep your clothes on, girls. It’s all about removing the masks to reveal the real us. So often we hide behind what we wish we were or who we want people to perceive us as, and in that process, we lose sight of the true women we really are.

What does it mean to be the best? And, who is qualified to determine that? What features must be present to deem something so? Is it a quality thing? A popularity thing? What is it about something — a person, product, business — that makes people say things like, “Oh, that was the best movie!” or “That was the best meal.”? The word “best” is used casually every day, but in every usage, it’s a form of validation ... a stamp of approval ... that someone thinks something is primo, exquisite ... the best!

Tell me that I can’t, and I will. Tell me that I shouldn’t, and ... well, I will. Or I’ll make a pretty good go of it anyway. I’m persistent and persevering, yes, but I had no idea that it’s just as fulfilling to be supported as it is to be challenged. When people try to hold me back, I may blossom, but when people rally around me, I truly thrive.

I come from a family of givers. My mom and dad are givers. My siblings and their spouses are givers. My husband is a giver, almost to a fault!