her story.

My name is Sarah, and I am a full time human being.

I am many things to many people but before all of that I am simply, me.

Below I have written about who I am, not what I do. I wonder if you’ll find common ground?

I was born on the winter solstice and named after my great grandmother on my mother’s side.

Despite being 1 of what seems like 6 million Sarahs born in the mid-80s, I do love my name. Some people call me Sarahtonin and I think that’s pretty rad.

I have been blessed to live most of my life by the ocean in South Australia on the traditional lands of the Ramindjeri people.

My heart is wild and free, soft and warm, fierce and strong.

I feel all my feelings deeply and wear most of them on my face (poker is not the game for me).

I believe my children’s giggly cackles are everything good in the world wrapped up in a sound.

I am quite forgetful, much to my husband’s dismay. I have left the hotplate on a few times by accident and regularly leave the garage door up. Whoops. Sorry husband.

I’d rather be the driver than the passenger unless I have a book to read.

On that note, I’ll take reading over watching – I think books are a thousand times better than movies, but I do like salty popcorn.

Eating is one of my favourite activities - chocolate rarely escapes me for a day, and no matter the time of year, roast turkey is a yes from me but you can leave the fruit pudding behind.

I love animals, especially dogs.

I have two golden retrievers who shed so much hair that I wish I had shares in Dyson, but I’d rather vacuum regularly than be without them.

I am not ashamed of my really loud voice. It is handy at sporting events and in crowded venues.

I love to sing. I believe there is a song for every moment in life and that the collective sound of humans singing together is heaven on earth.

I love sport; both to play and to watch. I’ll watch Australia in anything and I am a total Olympics nut.

I tend to remember faces but not names, probably why I often bestow a nickname even if I’ve just met you (which sometimes lands me in hot water).

I’m always up for a laugh, but never at the expense of someone else’s self-worth.

I believe swear words are excellent for emphasis.

I love to be surprised and delighted by ordinary things, like how an anemone grabs your finger in a rock pool, why a sandwich tastes better if someone else makes it, how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly and how a football can bounce just the right (or wrong) way depending on who you support.

I love winter for the beauty of seeing my breath in front of me, but I don’t like being cold.

I love the dry heat of a South Australian summer and I also love the smell in the air when it rains after a long dry spell.

I love riding the trolley handlebars in the aisles and car parks at the supermarket, much to my children’s embarrassment. Can’t stop, won’t stop.

My first ever job was a not so successful stint as a pub waitress where I was ‘let go’ for talking too much (plot twist – I ended up marrying the owner’s son).

I am a true life-long learner. I am willing to have a go and fail, willing to be wrong and to grow, willing to apologise and make amends when I get it wrong.

My kids inspire me every day to be brave and to be kind and being anywhere with them and their dad is my favourite place to be.

Above all else, I want them to know that they are loved and they belong.

Not because of what they do or do not do. But simply because they exist.

That is enough.

Guess what? I want that for you too.