A Voice of One's Own

i realized recently that while i introduced this blog, how it began, where it is going and what it means to me, i never introduced… me. and i have been feeling super liberated lately, so i thought maybe it was time.

hi. i’m mary, although if you know me well you know i would much prefer to go by mary theresa; it’s a mouthful, though, so no one really calls me that. i plan on devoting my life to leaving the world brighter than i found it.

i love singing, dancing, running, yoga, drinking tea, laughing hysterically (and spastically), writing, reading, bonding with people, cooking, baking, cycling, thrifting, and tie-dyeing. more than anything, i believe in the universal deservingness of love. human beings are the reason i breathe. i express love like it’s my job, but it won’t ever do justice to how i feel. i have a bad ass sense of style and i am more independent than even i am aware. i am colorful. i have passionate conviction and an insatiable thirst for life. i have lived through both sexual and domestic abuse and battled eating disorders and depression as a result; i must say they have defined me in so many ways because they were part of the journey that lead me to become the woman i am today.

i write about my life, the people in it,  what i learn from it, and what i learn from others’ stories. most frequently, i come back to the concepts of body image, gender, sexuality, hair, justice, love, compassion, liberation, authenticity, hope, courage, gratitude, spirituality, choice, and a human community. i write because i think that expression has the power to change the world—for better or for worse. in case you couldn’t guess it, my hope is that this collection of my expressions changes our world for the better even if it is only by making you smile…

with immense amounts of love, gratitude and hope,

mary theresa

voiceofonesown@gmail.com