My life in a tutu

Sitting in the dark once again, Jackie waited for the familiar turn of the key to signal he was home safe.

It was a night like so many before, but this time anger burned within her soul.

On March 11, 2001, the life she had known was shredded through the meat grinder that is infidelity.

Jackie quickly spiraled out of control into a world of depression and self-loathing.

What went wrong? Where did she fail? She had tried so hard to be the perfect wife, mother, and person yet her life was now falling apart around her.

She felt lost, confused, and bewildered. Step by step, Jackie began to delve into her past and see herself and her choices through the looking glass of honesty.

Looking back, she began to see that her need for constantly striving to be perfect left her roots in shallow soil.

Jackie discovered that true recovery requires being brutally honest with all the pieces to the puzzle: not just the pain caused, but the role she played in it, digging deep to find the person she was born to be.

Women of all ages will relate to the desire for perfection in everything we do and how that desire can often lead to a life that is crumbling around us.

Today, Jackie will quickly admit happiness lies in accepting our imperfections along with our awesomeness.