I AM SO EXCITED! Today is my first (of hopefully many) spotlights on my blog! Spotlights will be a way to share some of the most special people in my life with y’all! And today is a good one… my best friend Dani!!!
So I prompted Dani with some questions and I am going to share them below. Before we get to that, let me do a little introduction.
Danielle is one of those women that is simply…impressive. If she posted her untrimmed resume for you to see your jaw would drop to the floor. She is brilliant. She is a glue friend. She keeps everyone together. She never lets loved ones, friends or family, get too far from her or eachother. Her encouraging words are life changing- her wisdom is one of MY greatest weapons! I am so lucky to have someone like her in my corner.
I don’t want to give too much away, I think it is time for Dani to take over the blog. ENJOY!!
I met Kari at a summer basketball camp at Kansas State University when I was a soon to be junior in high school. I still vividly remember a bus ride between the dorms and the gym where we sat together laughing and goofing around and I thought “wow, I wish we could be friends” but Kari lived in Kansas and I lived in Oklahoma. Fast forward a few years and we had both committed to Kansas State to play basketball and I got my wish! We’ve lived across the dorm hall from each other, shared a house with our teammates for a summer, and got to spend 4 years in the best college town ever (shout out Manhappiness). The coolest thing about our friendship though is we’ve actually only grown closer since college. We’ve been a part of each other’s biggest milestone moments, from weddings to babies, but my favorite part of our friendship is that we get to be 100% authentic with each other and I know she will always be there for me with a word of encouragement and a positive perspective. High school me would be so happy to know we became so much more than friends…we are like sisters 🙂
My family is my everything. I’ve been married to my husband for almost 4 years and I thank God everyday that he orchestrated a way for our paths to cross in life. Not only am I so lucky to have partnered with someone who I love, trust, and admire for who he is as a husband but we now have the most precious daughter, Mia Joy. Her middle name is truly the epitome of who she is and what she brings to our family.
I was raised by the most spectacular mom of all time and she is the person I strive to emulate in so many ways. And so far I’m doing a pretty good job of following her blueprint. She was a college basketball player and coach…so was I. She is a clinical psychologist working with Veterans….so am I. I am her mini me and it is an honor to be her daughter.
I have one sister, Angela, who has been cooler than me since about 3rd grade. Ha. She is my built in bestie and I love that we are raising babies alongside each other.
My mom met my (step) dad when I was in college and the missing piece of our family puzzle was found. We may not be blood but everyone says we are personality twins.
I am a clinical psychologist. I work part time for the Orlando Veterans Affairs Medical Center as a fully virtual staff psychologist helping treat Veterans who are suffering from a range of mental health disorders. I also have a small private practice where I provide psychotherapy and sports performance training.
loyal, empathetic, selfless
“He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40: 29-31
Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. It is so catchy, I dare you to listen and not be humming it to yourself the rest of the day!
Stay soft emotionally. Lean in to your tender side when you want to get defensive or negative. When I find myself getting frustrated or annoyed, I am really working on taking a few deep breaths, asking myself what my husband may be going through or worried about that is leading to the tension or disconnect I’m feeling, and then choosing the response that is the most grace filled, loving option I have. I also try to think about how much grace I need as a human and that if I want that from him, I better be ready to give it out too.
“She made you feel a little more hopeful, loved, and confident when she spoke to you. Her love was the kind of love that you bloomed under…it nourished your soul.”
Let it be known, this is what I STRIVE to be worthy of someone saying when I am gone…I know I have work to do.
I think one of my greatest strengths is that I can bring people together and create opportunities for bonding, friendship, and memory making. I love my people so much and take great joy in being intentional about continuing to make memories all together.
My greatest weakness is that I can often worry so much about the future that it can rob some of the joy of my present. I worry about getting older, my parents getting older, how life is always changing and I want it all to stop, to slow down. But life doesn’t and that can make me really sad sometimes. I’m really working on just soaking in the joy, the magic, even the mundane moments because I want to feel everything so deeply that even when the moment is gone, I’ll still have that imprint in my soul.
The beach! I try to take a beach trip with my family every year. I am never more calm and at peace than when I am sitting in soft sand looking out at the ocean and listening to the waves crash on the shoreline. There is something so centering about feeling so small, in a good way, when you look out at the never ending ocean horizon. The beach is a little less relaxing now that I have a toddler to chase around and attempt to stop her from eating sand but I LOVE getting to share my happy place with her now too.
Sweet cream cold brew from Starbucks. Just the right amount of sweetness and I love cold brew in the summer!
Instagram: danielle.parker25
Facebook: Danielle Parker (Danielle Zanotti)
That was so much fun! Thank you, Dani, for sharing your heart with the blog world! I am hoping y’all enjoyed reading about Dani as much as I did. I hope to have a Spotlight post every month! Can’t wait to share more amazing people in my life with everyone.
Loved reading this! You girls are both so special. Thank you for sharing ♥️