Expand Magazine - Volume 6 Issue 2

Expand | Cover Story / 18
Julie
Lohr
Be More
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
I am a reformed people pleaser. I used to worry about making
everyone happy and cared what they thought of me. On my weaker
days, I still do. Childhood taught me that to be seen, heard, or given
affection or any attention, you must achieve, work, or perform at a
certain level to be worthy.
As an adult, I’ve discovered that all that truly matters is what God, my
husband, and my children think of me. What other people think of me
is none of my business. My pastor, Fr. David Hemann, gives excellent
homilies regularly. He once said that if 100% of the people in your life
approve and like you, you are doing something wrong. He said that
if 100% of the people dislike and disapprove of you, you are doing
something wrong. If about half of the folks around you like you and
half dislike you, then you are LIKELY living an authentic life where you
stand up for what you believe, and do not make decisions based on
others’ opinions. It resonated with me. I left Mass feeling like I was
definitely living an authentic life.
What is your life purpose? Do you have a personal
mission statement for this phase of your life?
I think my life’s purpose is to be a wife, mother, and dentist. I want to be
the best version of myself. I do not have a personal mission statement,
but if I did, it might just be about surviving. The last two years have felt
like I’m living in survival mode. Just keep swimming, as Dory says in
Finding Nemo.
As a business owner and a mother to four children, one with a
disability, I often feel that I am operating at my maximum capacity for
18 hours a day, seven days a week. When my mother was diagnosed
with terminal brain cancer at 61, I wasn’t sure I could handle the
heartache or additional stress. It was gut-wrenching watching her
suffer and knowing that my mom was going to leave this earth far
earlier than expected. In addition to that, my associate dentist also
moved away to be closer to his wife’s family. Carrying the entire clinical
load while trying to help my mom navigate a cancer journey was
extremely challenging. As the sole provider at the dental practice, I
was overwhelmed. I relied on my Catholic faith and friends to help me
through. I surrendered control and trusted in God’s timing, survived,
and thrived in the chaos.
What drives you?
My children are my driving force. Providing for them keeps me going.
I want my children to have less stress and worry than I did. My parents’
divorced when I was nine, it was traumatic. My kids deserve to have