Well, here it is the new year, the time for resolutions. I am not a resolution maker, it's just not something that I've ever really been into. However, as you know, I am a reflector. I do a lot of "thinking" and reflecting about things and naturally this time of year reflecting happens a lot, it's a good time to check yourself.
Some of the hot topics scrolling through my head lately are weight (shocker), this blog, parenting and FOMO. These are all things that I feel could use a little more attention on my behalf in order to be the best version of me. Weight (sigh), this is just a dark heavy (pun intended) cloud that hangs over me always, for years. I go through a cycle every year. This time of year I am always my heaviest, and right now I am actually the heaviest I have ever been (not pregnant). Then I get on a health and fitness kick to prepare for whatever Spring vacation we have planned. I usually drop 10-15 lbs and hang onto that until about half way through the summer. Then I start eating and drinking more and slowly put it and more back on by Christmas and the cycle starts again. This time around I am feeling a little more insecure about this cycle because I post a lot of pictures of myself in clothing for all to see. I worry about judgement, silly I know, but I also am finding it harder and harder to post pictures when I just don't feel good in what I am wearing. That's what's important to me, I don't actually care what the scale says, I care about how I feel in my clothes, and right now I feel blah. So, as the cycle goes, it's time to do something about it. Nick and I are starting a weight loss challenge with a group of our friends next week. This is all for fun but I think a great way for us to be motivated and accountable. The real challenge for me, however, is to actually keep it off this time. To end the cycle and to find balance between healthy living while at the same time indulging and enjoying once in a while. Next, this blog, this has really been one of my proudest achievements in 2019 and one that brings me so much happiness. It's the one thing I do for me and me only. I would really like to find more time to do this, the writing part. I would also like to not overthink the content I write about and just write, even if that means that just one person got something out of a post and that one person is me. The bottom line is that I am going to keep doing this, the writing, the posting, the instagramming, all of it, because it brings me happiness. It has also helped me to grow so much personally, to accept me for me and to help me to let go of what other's think about me (that's a work in progress). Then there is parenting, well it's more time with my kids and my family that is on my mind. I posted about how at the end of this decade I will have a senior in high school, a kiddo who will be preparing to leave the nest and head off to college. That thought rocked me like none other. I have ten years to soak up every moment of this parenting thing. I am not saying that parenting ends, but parenting how I know it will end. I want to enjoy this time with my boys and spend as much time as possible having experiences with them and creating memories with our family of four. Finally, this brings me to FOMO, letting go of FOMO. Often times Nick and I both let the fear or the pressures of missing out drive our decisions on how we spend our time. We will often choose social events over family time. This is something that has never sat well with me. I am not saying that we choose friends over family all of the time, I am just saying that we do have an active social life and I am a homebody at heart, I like to be at home, it makes me feel grounded. There is nowhere else I'd rather be than at home with my boys on a Friday night watching a movie and snuggling with snacks. We are blessed with so many wonderful and active friends who have enriched our lives beyond measure and time with them is still valuable to us, however, time with our kiddos and our small family is what we actually fear missing out on. When our kids are gone and developing lives and families of their own, we will have all the time we want to fill up our social calendars. So that's that, not resolutions per say, just checkin' myself and acknowledging the ways that I can maintain or grow the things that bring the most happiness in my life. What are you reflecting on? What brings you the most happiness? Make the commitment to focus on those things, put your effort there and let this year and this decade be your happiest time yet.
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Having a birthday so close to the year end makes it great for reflecting on the year that it's been. This year I started the year out mourning the loss of my grandma. That was a tough one and a loss that hit us all pretty hard. Fortunately, when something rocks us we usually come out of it better than we were before. My grandma G wasn't the first loved one I had lost but she was someone I was very close to growing up, she was the true meaning of unconditional love. When I lost her I felt like I had gained an empowerment inside that has helped me this year to conquer fears or to at least not let any fear stand in my way of experiences and accomplishments. I took on an "all in" attitude because I know I have her with me, guiding and giving strength. The first leap was beginning this blog. I launched this blog for all to see six months ago and because of it I have grown an immeasurable amount. I have learned to overcome the fear of rejection, and to not take things personally. I have learned that I LOVE to write, it's really become my passion. I have learned that it's OK to not be everyone's cup of tea. I have learned to just do things for me. I also raced a horse this year. There's no other way to put that. I raced in a race behind a horse, alongside other horses, in front of a very large and loud crowd. I wore a tiny purple flower pin in honor of my grandma that race too. I knew I needed her with me for that one. This was the most exhilarating experience in my 38 years. I trained for that race for a few months and fell in love with horses. Every time I was behind the horse I felt an adrenaline rush like none other and then of course that rush in the actual race was beyond thrilling and untouchable. I wanted to race again and again once it was over. Funny thing though, when I even thought about committing to that race my palms would sweat and the anxiety inside of me would kick into high gear. I figured I wouldn't sleep for months just fearing that race. I conquered that fear though and I am so glad I did! I can't imagine missing out on that experience. This year I became an American citizen. After having been a permanent resident for almost 13 years, I decided to go all in and become a voter. Years ago, I was totally fine with just being a resident. I could work here and I could live here and that was enough. Until this year, when I realized that my voice matters, I teach in the public school system and I am a parent and what I think and feel matters. Instead of renewing my permanent resident status I just went for the big title. This took a lot of studying and some intense interviews. I learned a lot about this country, many people believe, probably more than the average American. I was sworn in with 72 other desiring citizens from all over the world. We cried together, sang together and waved American flags proudly together, all with our loved ones present. This was one of the proudest moments of my life. If you haven't been to an Oath Ceremony for people becoming citizens of this country, I highly recommend that you do. You will never experience anything more patriotic in your life. Also, stay tuned for my "I voted" sticker pic in the 2020 presidential election. In my last year, I also went all in for my job. I became a part of a looping pilot at my school. I moved on from Kindergarten and went to first grade with my same class. This has been so challenging and rewarding all at the same time. I have gotten to know the kiddos in my class far more than I would've ever been able to in just one year with them. As a teacher, you want to be impactful and I wholeheartedly believe that in order to have an impact you have to have a relationship. I am so grateful that this year I was given the opportunity to grow the relationships that I have with 26 kiddos and I get to learn right along side them for 3 more years! This last year certainly hasn't been perfect, there has been ups and downs, heartache, stress, tears and worry. However, heading into this new year I can honestly say that I have never felt more proud of myself. I know that 2020 is going to bring great things too...some trips and adventures, some new work challenges for both Nick and I. Nick is turning the big 4-0, we're getting a pool and in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the women's right to vote I will vote for the first time in a major election as a citizen of the United States. I will continue blogging and setting big goals for myself. I will also continue to carry my grandma's strength with me through all of it. Bring it on 38! In memory of G
2/23/1947 - 12/31/2018 Today I was required to meet with an insurance representative at school, something I loathe, anything to do with finance, insurance, taxes, all that stuff. It literally makes my eyes go cross eyed and all I can think about in any of those discussions is how much my palms are sweating.
Following the meeting, a group of my work friends and I were standing around reflecting on how much we all hate that stuff and how we feel bad because we just pass it off to our husbands and trust them to just handle it and take care of it all. At first we were all thinking about just how bad and irresponsible it is that we don't know that stuff, or want to know, that we don't want to be the one to deal with it, that we don't want to be the one to think about it and that we just pass it on. Rewind, to a week or so ago when I absolutely lit into Nick, my husband, about how he doesn't think about other people, he doesn't do any of the Christmas shopping, or family communicating. How he doesn't plan for dinners, or take it upon himself to organize homework and pre-plan for the boy's social and school calendars. I think at one point in the heated, nagging argument I accused him of not thinking of anyone but himself. Yeah, I feel horrible about that one. Following, our hallway chat this morning, it dawned on me that we actually do have two entirely different roles in our relationship. That's a team, each member of a team has a position and a job in order for that team to be successful. I can't believe that it didn't hit me in the face sooner, but of course it would't because Nick doesn't gripe at me about the stuff that he does that I don't do. He doesn't ever use it against me when I forward him the health insurance emails I get, or when I forward retirement plan questions on to him. He doesn't ever throw up his arms and accuse me of being irresponsible, he just accepts that as his role, and his job on our team is to take care of our finances, prepare us for taxes, make sure that we are covered in a crisis and that we are planning for our retirement. Coming out of this, I don't feel so bad now, I don't feel so irresponsible or stupid for putting all of that on him and wanting nothing to do with it. I have my role and my jobs too and I do them well, and I (mostly) enjoy doing them, whereas he wants nothing to do with the list making, the calendar organizing, the thinking about what we can gift to someone, or having outfits ready for school concerts and picture day or managing our home and creating memories for our family. Quite frankly, it scares me to think about how all of that would turn out if it were up to him, and I'm sure it terrifies him to think about how our future would look financially if it were up to me. The point is, that we each assume the roles that we are best at on our team, if you can think the game and make plays, you play center forward on a hockey team or short stop on a baseball team. If you are speedy and quick with the ball you play forward on a soccer team. If you are big and strong and you have good feet you play offensive line on a football team. A relationship or marriage is just the same, we each assume the roles and positions that we are good at. The epiphany I had today was that I shouldn't feel bad for not participating 100% in our finances or insurance or future financial planning, it's that I should feel bad for thinking that I do more. In reality Nick does just as much, thinks just as much, worries just as much and tries just as hard on our team, we just have very different, equally important positions. I can't promise that I'm not ever going to nag again, or gripe about something I am doing that he is not, that's the goal, but not reality. I can promise, however, that my viewpoint on my marriage has changed and I have a new found appreciation for both my role on our team and all that my teammate does to contribute to our needs and achievements too. Go team! Photo courtesy of Red Fox Market, downtown Big Rapids, MI Last night we got to enjoy one of the many great events our little town has to offer. It was the annual Parade of Lights that always kicks off the holiday season. I probably say this about a lot of the events I go to around here, but this one might be my favorite. It's just the most beautiful, well attended and magical event. With the lights, and the spirit, and the crowd and the excitement to see Santa Claus at the end, it's all just what makes it a great small town tradition.
This had me thinking last night and this morning about how wonderful it is to live in a small town that provides us with so much including these traditions and ways to make memories with our friends and family. Nick and I both grew up in the small town life and we chose to give that life to our kids too. Right after we got married we moved to the city together and we lasted there just six months. We never felt like we had neighbors or a community there. It wasn't that it was bad, it certainly had many perks, it just wasn't what we knew home should feel like to us. Home to us is having neighbors that pop over unannounced and are always up for a last minute drink on the back deck. It's both friends and strangers that are willing to drop anything to help you when you need it. It's being at an outdoor event among hundreds and knowing faces on each of the four street corners. Home to us is an announcement on a business sign that prayers for one of our own is needed or that a celebration is in order. It's walking into any restaurant and feeling welcomed as though we've just sat down at a family's kitchen table for dinner. It's entering a local boutique and proudly supporting them knowing that you are making an impact. Home is growing up the same and raising kids together. It's trusting that we're all looking out for each other and that everyone else's kids are the same as our own. It's where everyone's funerals are packed in and weddings are like family reunions. It's where streets get blocked off to share a meal and roll pumpkins or to determine who makes the best chili. It's where you know your local firefighters and police officers and teach their children. I know some people think that the small town life makes your life small, but that's not the case in the least. Small town life has made my life rich in blessings and relationships, safety and opportunities. It has allowed for my family to build supportive connections and it has given our kids the chance to grow deep roots in a town that is truly proud of them. Small towns give you small town values and big hearts. I wouldn't trade one single day here in small town USA and besides, the sky in a small town is always the prettiest. I have been struggling a little bit lately with my own self worth. My perception is often skewed or influenced by others around me, on social media, other bloggers, coworkers, friends, etc. None of that is anyone else's fault, I take full accountability for choosing to compare myself to others.
Recently and even as recent as today I recognized that the thoughts consuming me are all thoughts of what I can't do, what I don't do and what I need to be doing. I can't take great pictures or videos with great lighting, I can't blog as much as I truly want to, I can't be in my classroom teaching my kids as much as I truly want to, I can't spend nearly enough time at home, I don't spend nearly enough quality time with my kids, I am not thin enough, I don't style clothes the way I should, I don't kiss my husband enough, I don't connect with my family enough, I don't talk to my friends enough, I don't spend enough time on lesson plans, I don't clean my house enough, I don't go to enough of the boys' practices, the list (as you can see) can really go on and on. The truth is, I know that I am not alone in this, I know especially for working mothers, the struggle with mom guilt is real. The pressure a woman feels has been created by this society that expects for us to be the best mom, the best cheerleader, the best teacher, take the best care of ourselves, take the best care of our families, be the best friend, look good, feel good, keep a good house, be a good wife. The society that has created these expectations though, that society is us. We do this, we put this pressure on ourselves to be the best at all the things. I have put this incredible amount of pressure on myself to be the absolute best at everything I have taken on in my life because I am terrified to fail and be rejected. When really all that I am and all that I can do has always been enough for the people who love me. Do our kids sometimes ask more of us? Yes! Do our husbands need us during times we aren't available? Yes! Does work ask for more when we feel like we just don't have anything more to give? Yes! BUT we don't have to do any of it, those expectations are fostered by us always saying yes when really what we do already is enough. We only fail because of the expectations we set out for ourselves. I decided to take this blogging hobby public because it's something that I love to do and sharing it makes me love it even more. Today however, I was caught beating myself up for not being the best at it, for not having enough of a following, for not being as good as the gurus. After a long drive alone with my thoughts and a mental pep talk I remembered why I am doing this. I am doing it because it's what I love to do and those that choose to follow along this journey with me will love me for me and the way that I do things and if they don't they won't follow, or at least I don't want them to. My hope in all of this is to be real and genuine and relatable and approachable and not perfect. I do this to share what I love and to make others feel great. So I decided today to just keeping going with it, to tell myself that I am enough and that all of this will be a learning experience along the way. I talked myself out of all of the pressure and have decided to wake up each day telling myself one thing I CAN DO or reflect on the things that I do well. We're all going to make mistakes, we're all going to fail, we're all going to have those moments that make us want to smack ourselves in the middle of the forehead, but that's not because we aren't great and awesome, it's just because we aren't perfect...no one is. The challenge isn't to obtain perfection, the challenge is to convince ourselves that we are enough, because we are! It's been on my mind a lot lately and really a topic among my friends with kids the same age as my boys. We struggle with fostering independence, and knowing what's appropriate and not appropriate as far as what they should be responsible for at home. It's so easy as parents to just get into a system or routine, all of which helps our household run productively and efficiently. However, I have come to the realization lately that my boys are capable of helping out at home much more than what they actually do. We have been fostering dependent behavior.
That realization slapped me in the face the other night when I asked my 8 year old to grab a dish cloth from the kitchen. I watched him walk into the kitchen and look aimlessly around. He had no clue, after living in this house for 6 years of his life, where the dish cloths were. When I finally directed him to the right drawer, he proceeded to wet the cloth and then instead of ringing it out, he just carried the wet dripping cloth across the floor to me and thought nothing at all of it. He had never been given this experience before, therefore it was not apart of his schema. That night, the pillow talk in my house was all about what we can do to prepare these little boys of ours to be independent, capable and helpful men. Don't get me wrong, they definitely do help us with some things, they drag their laundry baskets to the laundry and they help us sort their laundry a few times a week. They help us put their clothes away when the laundry is done and they help to feed the dog every day too. There is so much more that they could be doing though, or at least experiences we could be providing them so that they are prepared to accomplish tasks independently. What we need to do (Nick and I), is to be conscious all the time while we are taking care of jobs around the house thinking of how we can include the boys in the execution. How can they be helping? This is the question that just needs to be on our minds at all times throughout the day. They may not be able to actually pack themselves a healthy, sufficient lunch but they sure can participate in the process by getting out the containers, pulling food out of the fridge and actually physically putting their lunch bags in their backpacks each day. They can also be in charge of emptying their backpacks after school and putting things back where they belong. They can be helping to fold laundry, starting with things like socks and towels (the easy stuff). They can set the table, clear the table, empty the dishwasher and help with every day household chores. We also need to put it on them 100% when it involves an extracurricular activity. Take hockey, for example, why we have been setting out wet and stinky hockey equipment that we don't use or play with is beyond me. That is now on them, if they want to play the sport, they need to be in charge of the equipment and gosh dang it remember their own water bottle before a practice or game! I am finding myself now thinking of so many ways they can be helpful contributors in our household and it makes me excited for them! I don't want to come across like a super tough parent, and I don't want to be too hard on them, but I do think it's important for them to be independent, problem solving men and some day if they are blessed enough to share their lives with significant others, those lucky significants will be very grateful for them and their abilities to take care of things and be equal task performing members of their households. And if they choose to live a life of sole independence, then they'll be prepared to do so. I want them to be proud of themselves for what they can do and I want them to be able to do it on their own because not only is it rewarding but it feels good too! I don't want them to need anyone else but it would be great for them to be needed. So here we go, we might be taking more time on tasks but that's because our little boys are becoming men! Wish us luck! We're so lucky at my school to have a principal who motivates us all the time with positivity and self love. She encourages us all the time to "do something for YOU" and to "be THE one". She encourages us to look past the stuff that doesn't matter and she especially reminds us all the time that we have been given an incredible opportunity in our line of work to be able to have positive impacts on so many little lives.
We also have challenges in our line of work, however, that become speed bumps in our road to success and obstacles that we have to overcome in order to persevere. One of her motivational "rah rah" spiels, addressing the very topic of positivity and success was about how important it is to not let anyone get your "good". Your "good" as in your self-love, your confidence, your positive attitude and anything that you do well or have going on that's just darn right awesome. So often it happens that just when we've put in that hard work, or we've persevered and are finally reaping the benefits of that, someone comes a long and tries to squash it with negativity or undermining words that make us feel that what we've accomplished or how we are feeling isn't justifiable. We start to second guess ourselves and what we have achieved. It's interesting too how sometimes we can be that person to ourselves. We can be the person who gets into our own head and starts giving self chats that essentially downgrade any victories or accomplishments. Take for example, when we lose weight. If someone else notices, or we get a compliment, it's so hard to just simply say "thank you" and accept that compliment, pat ourselves on the back and keep plugging away. Instead we credit the weight loss to something else like "it's just these pants" or "it was the lighting in the picture", etc. My point is, that we have a hard enough time keeping our own minds positive, keeping ourselves motivated and feeling rewarded and deserving, let-a-lone allowing for someone else to come in and bring us down too. This happened to me this week, I (almost) allowed for someone to get my good. This person, feeling unhappy in their own life and insecure in their own decisions, decided that they needed to take that negativity out on me. They said some horrible things (that are still haunting me) with the intentions of downplaying all that I have worked hard to accomplish. For a few hours, I allowed for that to happen. I started second guessing myself and questioning any of my successes. I started wondering if I really was any of the things that this person told me I was. Those hours felt like days and really it was an exhausting way to start my week. Fortunately, I surround myself with a lot of love, family and friends who support unconditionally and love me for me. These very people were there to talk me out of giving away my good. They did a fine job of assuring me that it's ok to be me, to do me, and to feel good about it. While no one is perfect, and I am in fact the opposite of that, all we can do is try our best every day to be our best self and with that will come triumphs and successes and so much to be proud of . It's up to us though to create that good, to recognize it, to fuel it, to share it, and to hold on to it for dear life. Our good, is all ours, it's what we have worked hard for, it's what we have done, it's what we have overcome, it's what keeps us pluggin' on day after day. It's what we have to be proud of and it's what we use to make those that love us, love us even more. Be the good, keep that good and own it!!! So about a month ago I did my first 'big" thing of the summer. This was something that really was being planned (in my mind) since last summer. I knew that I needed to get myself in the annual Celebrity Harness Race that occurs as a local fundraiser in our community each summer. This race has now raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities and I am proud to have been involved in the party planning for this event for almost, if not already, ten years now. Each year the racers always proclaim that this is the greatest adrenaline rush and that all should do it. Well last year I made that decision. I knew that I would regret it forever if I didn't do it now. I am a self proclaimed control freak and I am sure those closest to me can see that. So doing something like this is far beyond my comfort, to say the least. I wasn't able to bid on this race at the auction I wanted to purchase it at until late May, early June, so I had a lot of time to simmer the thought of racing in my head. I am pretty proud of myself honestly, that with all that time to think about it, I didn't back out. Funny though, once I did seal the deal and purchase the race, I just planned on not sleeping until the race was over. Practices started right away a few days a week and I very quickly fell in love. I would go after school before the school year ended and it turned out to be the most wonderful way to decompress. There is something about horses that is so majestic and methodical. The way they move, the way they smell, the way they sound, it's all so beautiful and allowed me to forget about everything else in the world while I was on that track. I honestly felt sad as the actual race got closer because I knew my time to decompress in that way was coming to an end. The night before the race I got the chance to ride in the gate car which was an experience in itself. I felt so close to the horses, I could see their breath and feel the determination in their eyes. It was a great way to gauge positioning and to develop strategies for my own race, which now in hindsight I know, the horse already had that part taken care of. Race night was incredible and really one of the best nights of my life! My sisters and my mom showed up unexpectedly, which was a wonderful surprise of support. The infield party was filled with leopard print (my favorite part), the grand stands were packed with students and school families, and my own family and friends were certainly showing their love, making it obvious who they were cheering for in the race. I was so full of anxiety and adrenaline and excitement but I was determined to take it all in. I met my horse and fell in love with her too. She was beautiful with her mane braided and I could see her story in her eyes. It was time for the race, to line up at the gate car and my horse, "Lookin' At Lucky", made it clear that she was on a mission. I am still not exactly sure what happened with that first line up, but three of the other racers were not yet able to get their horses up to the gate. So the gate had to pull back and try again. Well, naturally, my horse thought it was time to race when the gates pulled back. This meant that I had to really pull back on her until we met up with the gate again and by then, in her mind the race had already started. The horses all got lined up and the gate pulled away. My horse took a strong lead to start and went ahead by quite a bit right off the bat. I kept looking back thinking "either this horse is going to crush this race or she's going to completely die on me at some point". The problem was that I was holding her back for so long already that I just didn't have the strength and endurance to do it as much as I needed to in order to conserve her energy to win. She ended up leading the race for an entire lap and a half and then she just didn't have enough in her to finish first. She did however, break a record for her first quarter mile and she ran an honest, race of beautiful and perfect trotting. The adrenaline that I felt during that race was like nothing I have ever experienced in my life. I am used to my hands shaking and my heart racing but when that race ended, I remember my feet shaking uncontrollably, it was the weirdest feeling! Someone asked me if I remember the race and shockingly I remember every second of the actual race. Afterwards A LOT of my friends and family showed their support for me by gathering around my horse on the infield (another record that was apparently broken), so I was feeling the love for sure! After seeing pictures from that time I shared with many of my favorite people on the track, it became clear to me that that was the "blackout" moment. I don't remember taking a lot of the pictures so that must have been when the adrenaline really took over. The entire experience was certainly one for my lifetime and I will forever be grateful for my trainer and his family for allowing me this opportunity. The time and effort that they dedicate to this race and the impact that they have made on my community by simply sharing their talents and passion, is really unmeasurable and extremely admirable. I now feel very passionate that this is something that anyone would be crazy not to do if the opportunity presented itself. I felt high on life for weeks after that race and thinking about it still makes me smile and wish for just one more jog. The best dressed kiddos, obviously! :)
It seems like all week we're grinding, racing the clock all day long and not stopping to breathe until the kids go to bed and even then the dishes need to be done, laundry needs to be put away, the list goes on. Then the weekend comes and goes so fast you barely even get the chance to stop and regroup before the race begins again.
We are at that point in our lives where our kids' schedules keep us busier now then we ever could've imagined we'd be and we sure complained about being busy before kids. I've said this a few times this baseball season that I feel like I barely have time to work, my job is getting in the way of my kid's busy schedule. I know I'm not crazy for thinking that because you know it's the truth. Checking off the daily to dos is not easy to do within an hour or two after work, but somehow we do it. It might all be done last minute and coming in hot as we again race to beat the clock but we get it done. Lucky for us though, and I know this isn't the case for everyone out there, we get two days off every week from work. We get a weekend to recharge, get the stuff done and regroup before the week begins again. BUT we may need to point the finger at ourselves for blinking and missing the weekends though. What so many of us are guilty of is only taking advantage of one of those days. On Saturday we're feeling good, feeling relieved, feeling liberated and feeling like we can conquer the world because we have the time to do it. Then on Sunday we get stuck in this "Smonday" mode and we let ourselves become consumed with the pressures of Monday and we spend our last day off filled with anxiety thinking of all the things to come. We waste the day away ourselves, we make the choice to worry and stress instead of embrace and relax. We're robbing ourselves! We've earned these two days to do with whatever the heck we want. We need to be capitalizing on every minute we have for ourselves and our families instead of succumbing to our daily pressures. "Don't let Monday ruin your Sunday!", the wise words of my friend Traci. I love when she preaches this. These words always seem to come out of her mouth when she's trying to convince me to do something fun on a Sunday. :) Who doesn't need a friend like that?! Smonday Schmonday! I haven't had much time to reflect lately because the Spring season just seems to be so crazy. This is always the time of year when I feel like I don't have time to have a job, LOL! We've been on the go with baseball and camping and just all the things that come with life. I was thinking back on the last time I was actually able to relax and be at one with my thoughts and that was our recent girl's trip to Florida a few weeks back (seems like a too long ago now). I wrote about this trip in a separate post weeks ago but there was a part of that trip that just seemed to have earned a whole post on it's own.
The Villages, FL, the place where my girlfriends and I were often the very young ladies at each establishment we entered. It was quite entertaining to see the stares and reactions of the "locals" when we walked in. If you ever want to feel young and sexy again just visit The Villages, they sure do show their appreciation for it. ;) One night while visiting, we made a pit stop via golf cart for a pre dinner cocktail. We headed straight up to the bar where we were planning to plant ourselves. Sitting alone at the end of the bar was a single man who admittedly didn't "have the strength in his heart to handle being approached by so many beautiful women", his words not mine. We took our party outside onto the patio once we got our desired beverages and after a few minutes we were pleasantly joined by the man from the bar. We learned quickly that his name was Kevin and that he very much wanted to buy us all the next round. Typically when a guy wants to buy you drinks you assume that it comes with ill intentions. Not Kevin though, Kevin stood there and gushed about his wife and how he is the luckiest man on the planet and how he hopes that our husbands appreciate us. It was clear that he absolutely adored her, worshipped her really, and it felt like relationship goals. It was so refreshing to hear a man just go on about the woman he loved and that he was a better man because of her. Isn't this what we all want? To be adored, loved, gushed about and treated like the queens we are? I am fortunate enough to have someone who does appreciate me and love me a whole heck of a lot. I am not so sure he gushes about me though, not because he doesn't want to but just because that's just not him, he's way too modest to gush about anything honestly. We all deserve to be treated like the queen that we are and to see our man's (or loved one's) eyes light up when we walk in the room or to be our greatest fans when we are accomplishing our goals. We all deserve to have that cheerleader who fully believes that we can do anything and who appreciates whole heartedly what we already do or have done. Kevin left us that night with some words that truly resonated with life, words that pertain to not only our significant others, but all of those who we share our lives with. These words are what make Kevin unforgettable to us and what earned him a post in his name. He said so simply to us "if your world isn't worthy, then change your world." That's it, it's just that simple. Those basic and matter of fact words were actually very impactful and lasting to us. They were words we spoke about for the rest of our trip and words we still think about now that we are back to reality. "If your world isn't worthy, then change your world." YOU ARE WORTH IT! |
LUCKY LADY!
Melissa here! While I'm all about sharing trends, deals, and outfit ideas with you, I have a true passion for writing. I love sharing thoughts on life the most and am excited to share those thoughts with all of you right here! Archives
January 2021
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