Sorry! I've been M.I.A. for the last month. I needed to take some time to rest and give my current life perspective a tune up! We've had an, well, EVENTFUL September and now that I've taken some time to just LIVE life and enjoy those mundane moments, I'm back and rejuvenated!
So, today, I want to share what I have learned over the month of September...
Nothing in life is guaranteed.
Nothing in life is absolutely guaranteed. You could be a good person. You could eat right, exercise and take your vitamins. You could do everything right, but, there is a strong chance that something will happen that will shake you right to your core.
Our dear friend, Patti, was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma. She is one of the most kind, funny and boisterous women I know. When my water broke with Brady, the first person I called was her (she wasn't home, but thankfully her hubby, Jeff, is equally awesome and he WAS home!). She's a "go-to" person; the person you want by your side when you need comfort. But, one uneventful day I received a call from her husband and he told us she found out she had cancer. The pit of my stomach just clenched up. While no one ever deserves cancer, she was not the person this should happen to. (To lend her a prayer and read about her journey, please visit her blog at http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/champatti411/mystory)
But, some times the most tragic circumstances bring about the most beautiful things. The amount of people who have come together to rally behind this beautiful woman is magical. It is really inspiring how much love has been shown for her. And, it is this love that makes me realize that I don't want those who I love to ever not FEEL that type of love every day from me.
I have decided that:
- I will NEVER go to sleep without telling my hubby and boys how much I love them
- I will NEVER let my boys drift to sleep without hearing me tell them something specific I was proud they accomplished that day and that I love them with all of my heart
- I will never let the mundane things get in the way of doing something genuine for someone else
- Things can be rescheduled...so if something fun comes up I want to do, reschedule the things that can be rescheduled so we can just have fun!
- Make someone else happy every day, even if it is a stranger. Everyone is experiencing their own struggles, so making someone's day may be a blessing for us both.
My husband is my rock
Things have definitely been trying on my marriage over the years. Not so trying that I have felt like my marriage was ever in danger, but it has definitely been hard. I have forced myself to take a step back and look at my interactions with my husband as if I were a bystander watching us. There are definitely times where I am not as kind as I should be. My patience wears thin and my worries have made me weary and tired. And, with that, my vows of commitment to honor my husband and all he does for us has made it to the bottom of a long list of priorities. This is something I should have never let happen.
I look at what this wonderful man does for his family...He is present for his boys. He provides a very comfortable life for his family. He makes sure to allow his wife respite from her motherly duties (oh, how dramatic that sounds!). He picks up clutter, fixes dinner, scoops dog poop, kisses boo-boos, puts up with Pinterest projects, says, "No, your butt doesn't look big in that" and does not ever complain that it is too much. He makes sure to give me credit for all that I do, which is invaluable to me and my self worth, which I've struggled with ever since I made the decision to be a stay-at-home-mom. What I have realized is that I do not sincerely honor him for all that he is. And, I SHOULD.
With this realization, I have committed to honoring him each and every day. Even if it is for the little things because it's the little things that really do matter. I'll keep you guys updated how I face this challenge this month because I don't want to ruin the surprises for him!
My kids are my miracles
Every day brings their challenges, especially with kids. Uh, I should add, especially with a special needs kiddo. And, with those challenges, I have realized how frustrated I get with them and how much I let them KNOW it. I spend more time being frustrated than I do being encouraging and supportive.
And, I get it...the days are short and my list of things to do are long, so it's easy to become easily flustered and frustrated when they delay and fret over little things. But, really, they are little and they are supposed to make mistakes and be curious about EVERYTHING. I need to stop treating them as if they are TRYING to make my day difficult and stop to appreciate the moments that I'm able to teach them. Those moments when they want me to help them will eventually end and I need to seize the moment while it is here.
I promise my little ones that I will start making an effort to slow our days down and let the learning moments happen. I've been whining that they are growing up so fast, but really, I haven't taken the time to enjoy them like I should. I am going to join in on the wonder of learning new things and their vivacious curiosity. If only adults would take time to be amazed by the small things our children are fascinated by!
So, in essence, I've realized that I've needed to slow down. I need a slower paced life. I need to enjoy my boys each day, not wishing for bed times to hurry up and for their cherub faces to be sleeping (and quiet). I need to be a better friend, a better mom and a better wife. I need to focus on taking care of today and stop worrying so much about tomorrow. I need to remind myself that nothing in life is guaranteed. I need to remind myself that I'll never get today back so don't wish it away!
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