Some of you have seen a few photos I've posted. Some have commented and asked about them. Some of you have joined a little chat group I opened on Facebook when I got started. And some of you have even jumped aboard with me! But now is my chance to share the why.
Last summer, I was visiting Casey and her kiddos while my husband was working on a job site in Dallas. Randomly, a friend of her stopped by to bring a hand-me-down toy for Casey's littlest. After she left, we were headed out for a few errands and she mentioned essential oils to me. Her friend used them. To be honest, I don't remember much else about that conversation except her telling me that people use essential oils for all kinds of things and I jokingly asked if there was oils for weight loss. She assured me there was, though she couldn't remember the exact one(s).
Fast forward to the holidays.. And the million more times I kept seeing essential oils and their uses among others I knew. Pinterest was being flooded with ideas on uses, Facebook and Instagram had a growing number of photos of friends with bottles. One thing I noticed was that all these friends, from so many different parts of my life, were all people I trusted. Friends from high school who I had seen have consistency in caring for their health, Twitter friends who I've watched love their families well for 5-6 years, women from my church in Raleigh who love Jesus and have real life happening.. All using these oils! But WHAT ARE THEY?! So, I messaged a handful of those people and said just that. What is this? I see you using them, and I am curious!
If you know me at all, you know that I've struggled with my weight since about 1st grade. But really. My whole life. Some days/months/years have seen more success than others, and sometimes, I try and forget it's a real issue. I also have had several years of drama in the lady department. I'll stop there with any details. :o) And migraines. Are you kidding me with that? I've been a sufferer for 25 years or so. And now I have this man in my life with different health concerns. His sinuses are wretched. Stress affects him in some harsh ways. He also gets migraines. And if I didn't mention it before (ahhhhchooooo!), we are both non-lovers of pollen and allergies. As you can imagine, we have random bottles of medication all over the place.
What I was wondering about was whether or not these friends of mine were actually using oils for real life issues like their health. And if so, is it working? And if so, can I get some? Because the pill bottles are beginning to cause me anxiety in and of themselves!
So, my friend Kate was there. She patiently answered my questions, even when I asked them over and over. And over. And she was clear with me about what had worked and what hadn't for her family. Not just her, but her husband, her sons, and even the benefits in her business as a family child care home provider. So, I began talking it over with Damion. I wanted his input and I wanted us to do this together. We agreed that I could order a kit of oils for us to try some things.
Then another month went by. Ha! I guess I was nervous? A little hesitant, for sure. What is the deal with this stuff? Am I being duped? Am I believing something that's just a fad and just a big sales pitch? (Kate wasn't that way at ALL.. But maybe there was something hidden that even she didn't know.) And even though I read all kinds of crazy stuff about a dude on farms all over the world gathering up natural love, I couldn't get away from the fact that those bottles all over my house/purse/counters weren't always making things great. And I couldn't get away from how my friends were experiencing successes with these oils.
So, I finally went for it. I ordered a kit. And the very day it came, I was a ball of excitement and giddiness. I got to join in a huge private group on FB where thousands, nay... tens of thousands, of men and women and children were using oils for pretty much anything you can think of. I opened up my boxes and hopped on FaceTime with Kate. We started opening each bottle and smelling them while Kate explained how her family used them. Information overload! But, I was loving it! Allergies, stomach issues, cleaning products, wrinkles, anxiety, restful sleep, big bites, scrapes, cuts, spa bath products, fresh drink flavors, weight loss. We stayed on the screen over an hour. I probably could have kept her on there longer. Ha!
The first thing I tried was one of the popular blends. I had a spot on my tooth/gum had been bothering me for a few days. I was pretty sure it was an area of gingivitis, but it was really getting annoying. I tilted the bottle onto my fingertip and rubbed the residue against my gum. I swished around the spit (such a gross thing to write out lol), and went to wash my hands and spit. Before I got back to the couch, my pain was gone. It hasn't hurt again since. That was January 22. Now I was SUPER excited!
The more Kate and I talked, and the more I spent time reading information on the oils and their uses, I decided that maybe other might be where I once was. Maybe others would want to know WHAT ARE THESE ESSENTIAL OILS!? So, I started a private group and asked on my main page if anyone wanted to hear about it. That post exploded. Before long, I had 40 friends paying attention to what I had purchased and wondering how I would be using them. Now I had to be serious about this because others were wondering! I promised to tell them what I was using, why, and what kind of results I was experiencing.
I was getting questions about them, so I began to find answers for friends. And then my sister was interested enough to buy some. So, I asked what it might be like for me to get some for her. Kate was there every step of the way. She helped me figure out how it might look for my family to "do oils" as a business. And by Feb. 4, I was in. Damion and I had talked through it, and I was feeling plenty comfortable enough to at least try this out. A big reason why the comfort came so quickly and easily?
The team we are on. "We" meaning Kate and me. And Kate's friends. And her friend who helped her at the beginning? ... Guess. The friend of Casey's in the driveway in Fort Worth with the hand-me-down toy. I felt like I had met a celebrity without even knowing it! Paige is her name, and she's a great gal. I'm happy to be on her team. And the team I mean? Lemon Droppers. We're called Lemon Droppers. We are a line of folks under a lady named Lindsay. Hard workers, lovers of family, creatives, funny, smart, focused. We work -together-, and I have never felt alone. From the first moment, I knew I had several places to go to ask questions, confess my shortcomings, be vulnerable. It's like that every day and doesn't feel like a job at all. I definitely feel like I belong. :o)
I have goals, sure. I want to be able to pay for the oils that my family uses. I want to be a helper to my husband as he provides for our family. And I want to have fun while I do it. And stay at home for work, as long as we can keep it up! It's been a blessing for our first year of marriage so far! I want to be able to pay our water bill by myself from month to month. And I want to pay off the debt I brought into this marriage. And I want to adopt babies. And I want to buy a home. And save. And travel. Whew!
So, that's my story. It's a short one so far, but I'm excited about the possibilities!
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