Meet Big Ocean – Paige

Paige Kelly, one of our talented writers, grew up in the historic town of Ogden, Utah. She describes a picturesque childhood “filled with catching water skeeters in the creek near [her] home and playing summer night games with neighborhood friends.” She and her husband now live in a home at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon (also in Utah) along the Wasatch Mountains.

Family is central to Paige’s life and the values of her family’s life. She and her husband are well suited for each other and cherish their relationship. They fell in love through a beloved family history tale and treasure their imaginative little boy and perfect baby daughter. The two of them spend their days working for their family and remodeling their home, one project at a time.

Paige’s talents and interests extend beyond impressive home renovations, however, and include a deep connection with and love for nature. She states, “I relish spending time in our beloved mountains, wondering at it all. I presently have a clipping of English roses on my nightstand, cut from my rose garden, and I intend to spend the rest of my day today with my children, preparing our garden for winter. We will then make cinnamon rolls together for breakfast in the morning. I’ll likely fall asleep reading and dreaming of things of home and garden.”

Paige clearly has a gift for words, and we are lucky to have her share her talent with us! She got involved with Big Ocean Women thanks to a dear friend of hers, who continually asked if she would write for the newsletter. When the timing was right for her in her family life, she accepted. She shares, “I find pleasant satisfaction in writing for them and great appreciation for the women here, working to make the world a better place.” We, likewise, greatly appreciate and value Paige and her contributions!

When asked which tenet speaks to her in particular, Paige answered with Tenet 5: We are empowered by our feminine nature and we honor our procreative power. She explains, “Simple, yet complex, this tenet speaks directly to my identity and my roles in the world. I live my days to embody and fight for it.”

Paige says that the first and last woman who has had a profound effect on her as a woman and a mother will always be her mother. “She is strong. She is kind. She is dedicated to God and to her family. She is encouraging of the goodness within all those closest to her. She is and always has been my greatest champion. How I love her.”

When asked how her background has impacted her today, Paige answered beautifully: “My life experience has yielded profound introspection: identity, discovery, loss, restoration, determination, celebration. It has softened me. It has hardened me. It has produced clarity and the courage to embrace it. And the older I grow, the more comfortable I am in making peace with what I do not know or understand. As my days pass, I feel the currents of God, family, earth, home run deep in me, changing me for good, feeding my life, and encouraging me onward.”

We are so happy to have Paige share her wisdom with us all through the gift of her words. To conclude, here are some beliefs that Paige holds close to her heart:

I believe in nature. I believe we find God most easily there. I believe nature has powers known and unknown to us, but always felt. I believe it heals us, purifies us, refreshes us, blesses us.

I believe in people. I believe most people are good and extraordinary. I despise anything that seeks to influence me otherwise.

I believe in the power of home, the power of food. They connect us beautifully in simple and complex ways. 

I believe in family and in the beauty of bonds and the wisdom of boundaries.

I believe in love. It is the greatest thing among us.