Who Is Christi Spruill?

Who Am I?

I realized something today as I was pulling my notes together for this blog…I never actually introduced myself.  I came in full force, writing and posting like I owned the place, LOL.  Today, I am going to back up a bit.  I want to properly introduce myself and give you a glimpse of my story, the heart of why I’m here.  This space isn’t about perfect highlight reels, it’s about real talk from women who have lived it.  It’s about connecting, growing and rising together.

I’ve always believed that stories are bridges connecting us to our lived experiences and reminding us we’re never as alone as we think.  My story? It’s messy, painful, chaotic, hilarious and powerful all at once.  I never thought anyone would want to hear my story, but I am ENOUGH, and my story is worth hearing.  If you stick around long enough, you will laugh with me, cry with me, and definitely roll your eyes at the chaos that seems to follow me like a little rain cloud with glitter in it…yeah, this is where my brain goes most of the day…

This blog is a conversation with friends.  Sharing stories and memories and knowledge along the way.  Today, it starts with the truth of who I am and how I got here.

The Ooey-gooey Middle (It’s Where it all Began)

My name is Christi Spruill, and I am your typical single mom from Texas.  I’ve learned more through trial and error than any textbook could ever teach.

My single mom journey started when I was 20.  I was in my third year at Howard Payne University, finally breathing that “I’m grown now” college air.  Freedom felt amazing….until life reminded me it wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns.  By this I mean, it’s when I found out I was pregnant!  I still remember sitting in the clinic patient room, waiting for someone to come talk to me.  I was late, but I thought it was stress…mid semester, schedule was crazy and the basketball season had started…that’s all, just stress.  Then the doctor came in and said those 3 little words that some of us fear more than our Mothers…..”Congratulations, you’re PREGNANT”!  Wait….what??  When?? and of course….HOW??  LOL!  I was just a girl trying to figure out who she was, and suddenly I became responsible for a whole other human being.  The freedom I’d been celebrating only weeks before suddenly felt like a wave pulling me under.

At 21 I had my first daughter, Keise.  A few years later, at 25, I had my second daughter, Myah.  Myah’s story was one of those extreme adulting moments, the kind where your heart is breaking, and your soul is trying to hold itself together.  The situation I was in wasn’t healthy, and deep down, I knew at the time I couldn’t give her the life she deserved.  So I made the hardest decision of my life.  I chose adoption.  It wasn’t the end of our story together though, it was a beginning.  Myah thrived!  She grew up with two amazing, incredible parents, that agreed to have an open adoption, which allowed us to stay in contact through the years.  She has grown into an amazing young woman, and that part of my story shaped who I became as a mother and as a woman.

I don’t carry shame for where I’ve been, I carry proof, fire, and a legacy!

Life Keeps Moving Forward

Later, I met the man I would marry.  We had two more daughters, Zoë and Nora.  As we all know, life has a way of handing out plot twists, and we separated not long after Nora was born.  The divorce wasn’t easy, honestly, it was a 3 year fight, but 20 years later and we are good friends with a healthy co-parenting relationship.

Being a single mom is not for the faint of heart.  I worked one full-time job and three part-time jobs that all felt like full-time.  I lived in survival mode.  I was lucky to be surrounded by a strong support system in my parents my sisters, and my best friend.  That village carried me through.  I know not every single mom has that kind of safety net, village, and I never take it for granted.

Do I Belong Here?

This is the short version of my story, we are going to hit fast forward…..today I am 53, my daughters are grown and carving their own paths.  People think parenting ends when the kids move out, let me tell you, it doesn’t!  When they hurt, I hurt, when they struggle, I struggle, and when they succeed, I succeed.  Motherhood doesn’t clock out.

Now, we get to build this together.  They will be joining me on this blogging journey, this business journey and the SmartrWomen journey.  I am so proud and so excited!

BUT….Do I Belong Here??  I ask myself this question several times a day.  Do I know exactly what I’m doing? Nope, not even close! But….I’m here learning as I go, leaning into faith, grit, and community.  Writing these blogs is hard, especially for someone who never considered herself a writer.  My brain is random, all the time! My thoughts are chaotic, and some days these posts will be all over the place, and that’s ok.

Because this is REAL life!  This is REAL ME!

YES, I Belong Here!

We spend so much of our lives thinking we have to arrive before we belong.  That we need the degree, the title, the business plan, and the flawless strategy.  Me….I didn’t finish college, I started the school of life.  It took 30 years to get a decent title, and my business plan….it runs hand in hand with my strategy, constantly changing and evolving.  Through all of this I am beginning to understand that belonging doesn’t happen when you’ve mastered it all.  It happens the moment you decide to stand where you are, as you are, and say:

YES, I Belong Here!

That’s the heartbeat behind what I’m building with SmartrWomen.  Not perfection, not a polished facade, but real women with real stories; showing up, building, stumbling, learning and rising together.

You’re Not Enough – The Daily Whispers I Fight

I’ve spent years fighting the whisper that says, “You’re not enough”, not smart enough and not experienced enough.  I can’t even count the number of times I’ve stood in a room full of smart, powerful women and felt like the imposter in the corner.  I’d smile, nod and shrink myself against the wall like a wallflower, convinced they could see right through me.  It took me years to realize the only thing holding me back was the story I was telling myself.  The lesson I learned, those whispers are liars.  The truth is, we learn as we walk, we build as we grow and we lead as we become.  I used to believe that I didn’t deserve a place in the room with those amazing women, now I walk in with a smile and confidence and no longer a wallflower.

I am no where close to knowing it all, I am constantly learning.  I consider life as my continuing education.  My experiences have taught me a few things:

I do not need anyone’s permission to belong, I do not need perfection to rise, and I do not need a flawless plan to build a legacy.

Today’s Final Thought

This blog isn’t about me having all the answers, it’s not about anyone having all the answers.  It’s about showing up in the middle of the chaos with honesty and heart.  If you’re reading this and you’ve felt like me, like you don’t belong, I hope the message today reminds you that you do!  And you belong exactly as you are.  And if you ever need a hand, a push or a sisterhood that won’t let you give up, SmartrWomen is here.

SmartrWomen isn’t just another space on the internet.  It’s a revolution of women who are done shrinking to fit into boxes that were never built for us.  It’s a movement for all, the single moms, the dreamers, the late bloomers (like me), the rule breakers, and the warriors still standing in their storm.  Here at SmartrWomen, we don’t wait for permission.  We build our own rooms and make damn sure every women knows she belongs in it.  We lead with heart and we rise, not just for ourselves but for every woman who follows after us.  When we link arms and share our stories, we rise together and become unstoppable.

Raw. Rooted. Rising = Unstoppable Legacy

What storm have you stood through that made you stronger?  Tell me below in the comments, your story matters here!