Long Live the Queenies!

What's a Queenie?!  I've been asking myself that for a few days now.  I mean, I know why I named my blog Queenies & Martinis ~ I like martinis... and it rhymed. Thinking about what to write and what not to write here, has caused me to put a little thought into what I mean by a "Queenie."

I know what I don't want it to mean.  I don't want it to stand for someone too superior, someone too proper, someone who's out of sync with the real world, someone who's experiences are not relatable or are just resting on their laurels, and to be honest... someone's who's old!  Don't get me wrong, age is a perfect way to gage the mileage and milestones of your life.  I am not now, nor have I ever been afraid of aging...naturally.  It's the unnatural aging that has gone on since my hysterectomy that I'm afraid of.  You know, showing more miles on the car than what's been actually driven. 

I guess that's why I like the term "Queenie."  It makes me think of a woman no longer a princess (thank goodness!) and not quite a full blown Queen.  A gal stuck in the middle of thinking life is figured out, and then being hit with the big girl problems that shows her she still has no clue.  "Queenie" perfectly denotes the balance that my friends and myself are facing now~ juggling multiple aspects of life all at one time.  Making sure you have enough time and energy for your kids, spouse, job, volunteering, friends, family, and of course, yourself  (which always seems the hardest part to balance.)  It's the ying and yang of the world constantly at play within your own body, mind, and life.  I think that's why many of us struggle when extra pressures and stresses present itself during these "middle" years (hate that saying by the way.)  In many ways, I feel the strength and experience to competently reign over my Queeniedom, but in a split moment, I can instantly feel utter vulnerability that I haven't been in touch with since adolescence.

To me, a Queenie is just trying to keep her head up, and crown on straight, while trying to balance everyday life, and navigate the new issues that naturally come up (whether you're ready or not.)  Luckily,  I know a lot of fabulous Queenies!  Women who are keeping a positive and "can do" outlook on life even in the face of challenging health problems, kid drama, marriage ups and downs, friendship changes, aging parents, death of loved ones,  money crisis, and career changes.  It's those Queenies I see everyday on Facebook and at the ball park, the soccer field, the coffee shop, or my son's school, that let me know I'm not alone as I navigate my own life changes and challenges.  When a Queenie slips or falls, she knows that it's not the end of the world, no matter how bad it looks!  Just pick yourself up, dust your crown off, and keep moving forward!  So, Queenies Unite!  Long live the Queenies!!