Life, Law, and a Library

Any good relationship starts with getting to know each other, so my first post will be a smidge of an introduction into my life.

My name is Maria. I was born and raised in North Carolina, and other than the four years I spent in college, I have lived in North Carolina my entire life. I am married and have two boys– they are beautiful, kind (most of the time), and have more energy than I ever knew could fit into small humans. While I love them dearly, there are times they drive me insane, and I constantly struggle with finding the best “parenting strategy” or whether I am doing a good job (more on that later I’m sure). Thank the heavens for my mother, because without her being there for us constantly– we would be lost.

My husband and I have been married for ten years this October! I love my husband and the life we have built together… BUT MARRIAGE IS HARD! Our marriage is not all bliss, and while I love him more than anything and he is my ROCK– we have our own struggles with good communication, balancing our opinions on parenting (needless to say they don’t always match), and finding time for just us! We try to work at these things constantly, while trying to manage the crazy schedule– and we don’t always get it right… BUT we do it right/wrong/whatever together.

I also am a divorce lawyer. I practice at a great firm, and I do love my job! Divorce law is exhausting and stressful– but also gives me an opportunity to write and actually litigate in a courtroom (which is a true passion of mine). I also represent clients in domestic violence cases and other “domestic law” related cases.

In my “free time” (haha) I love reading, cooking (but not cleaning up after– just ask my husband), being outdoors, sports (GO HEELS!), the beach (Adult only Aruba trip coming this summer), wine (and of course a good mimosa), gardening (thanks to my amazing grandmother), and being surrounded by amazing people — I would be nothing without my tribes. I coach mock trial teams for a local law school (it’s cool I swear). I love God, try to go to church regularly, and family is very important to me. My childhood had good and dark days (I am sure you will read about that later) and I worked really hard to overcome struggles of self-worth and blaming myself for the actions of others.

I hope by getting to know me, and reading this blog, you find things you can relate to and struggle with, and that we can create an AMAZING space (or at least a space worth scrolling through)!