No matter how much I complain about it during the winter, I am so very grateful for my van. Not only do I haul my 2 kids around, but I also haul other kids back and forth places. Also, the van was gifted to us by my father in law. This was huge because car payments would have made things very hard for us financially. I realize that, especially in the winter, I seem ungrateful for this gift, but I'm not. Even when I'm complaining about how horrible it is in the snow, I'm also saying, but, I'm so grateful we have it.
Week 22: Something you use everyday
No matter how much I complain about it during the winter, I am so very grateful for my van. Not only do I haul my 2 kids around, but I also haul other kids back and forth places. Also, the van was gifted to us by my father in law. This was huge because car payments would have made things very hard for us financially. I realize that, especially in the winter, I seem ungrateful for this gift, but I'm not. Even when I'm complaining about how horrible it is in the snow, I'm also saying, but, I'm so grateful we have it.
0 Comments
Week 21: Things you like about summer
It's kind of funny because when I was little, I wasn't a fan of summer. I was an only child and really didn't have that much to do. As I got older, I started to like summers more and more. When I was 13, I started working for Frontier Day Camp, and that changed my whole view on summers. I started looking forward to summer. That never stopped. There are 8 days of school left, and I think I'm more excited for summer to come than my kids are. So, here are just a few things that I love about summer:
Week 20: A Friend 2
These friend challenges are very difficult for me. I am so grateful for all of my friends (and even those people who are not my friends and just piss me off) because they each teach me something and bring something into my life. Since week 7 of this was Friend 1 and I called her [A], I'm going to refer to Friend 2 as [B]. She'll know who she is. I've know [B] for right around 6 years, but we didn't really become friends until about 5 years ago. Something that both drew me to [B] and made me a little nervous of her at first was her confidence. A lot of times with confidence, people come across as being stuck up, but not [B]. She is probably the least stuck up person I know. She is the person can get along with anyone she meets and make them feel at ease. She takes things that life throws at her with such grace, or so she makes it seem. She gets stressed out and upset, but she handles it so much better than anyone else I know. A few weeks ago, life threw us yet another curve ball. I knew that I could talk to her and she would understand. I knew she could help put it in perspective and not just tell me what I wanted to hear. I knew that if it was as bad as I thought, she wouldn't sugar coat it (it wasn't as bad as I thought, which she helped me see, but that's another story) She has so much life experience that I know, even if she hasn't been through exactly what I'm going through, she's had something similar in her life. And she never judges. She looks at a situation with logical eyes and gets through it. I wish I could do that. I freak out first and then become logical, which doesn't ever help a situation. Something else I love about [B] is that she is who she is. She doesn't play games. She doesn't make you guess. What you see is what you get. There is something so refreshing about that in today's society where everyone feels like they have to be someone they are not. She understands that life is way too busy and chaotic to try to be someone she is not. We may not talk every day, heck, we may go months without talking, but I also know that we can talk anytime and it won't be like starting over. That's what friendship is. It's picking up where you left off like no time has passed. I'm proud to call [B] my friend. Week 19: Health
I am grateful that everyone in my family is finally feeling better. We all have our issues. I still have a lot of back/neck/shoulder issues and Monster has horrible allergy issues this time of year, but, overall, we're all better than where we were just a few short months ago. This year, we were hit harder with illnesses than ever before. I am so thankful we made it through and I didn't lose my mind. Week 18: The Weather
It's not snowing. Each and every time I say it's cold, I follow it with, "at least it's not snowing". For that, I am so, so, so grateful! Week 17: Something you take for granted
I had to really think about this one. I've been trying so hard not to take things for granted in my life. I thank God each day for my wonderful husband, for my kids' health, etc, etc, etc. And then I realized, it's my kids that I actually do take for granted the most. Not their health, but them. My whole world is about my family. I do everything for them, yet I realized that I take them for granted. My kids are truly amazing, yet, when I get so wrapped up in life, I forget to see that. They are strong. I mean, stand tall through a hurricane, strong. They stick by each other, even when they are at each other's throats. They are brave. So, so much braver than I ever was at their age and even braver than I am now. It amazes me how brave they are, yet it hurts my heart that they have to be this brave already in their short lives. These are the attributes of my children that I take for granted. I rarely think about how strong and brave they are, but I should. I need to see it and remember it. I need to praise it and be thankful for it. If they can manage to carry their strength and bravery throughout their lives, there is no doubt they will go far. I am so very grateful I have managed to raise children like them. They are true blessings. Week 16: Simple Things In Life
I try to never, ever take any of these things, and so much more, for granted. I know I do at times, but I try very hard to thank God for my blessings, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. Week 15: Things you like about Spring
Growing up, Spring was OK, but it wasn't my favorite season. I still wouldn't classify it as my favorite (that title is specially reserved for autumn), but I definitely appreciate it a lot more now that I'm older. For me, Spring is hope. There is something about that first day after a long winter (and let's be honest, winters are just too damn long in NE Ohio). The smell, the feeling. I love that first day that birds wake you up with their beautiful songs. I love the daffodils popping up. Spring is actually the only time of the year that I don't hate working in the gardens (please note I did not say like, because I do not like gardening, at all). There is something about clearing away all the dead debris and seeing little green shoots. Hope. I love watching the plants bloom and the grass get greener. I love watching the kids getting outside for the first time in a long time and riding their bikes. I love the sun. The sun is what I love the most. After so many grey and gloomy days, the sun gives me renewed energy. I am beyond thankful that Spring has Sprung already here. It is much needed!! Week 14: A talent you have
I don't see myself as talented or having any special skills of any sort. In fact, I'm pretty much just mediocre at everything in life. I can do almost anything, but there is nothing I can do exceptionally well. If you ask my daughter, my talent is doing laundry. If you ask my son, my talent is loving my kids. I'm grateful that I can do almost anything, even if I don't always do it well. It means that I don't need to rely on others. Maybe that is my talent.... being self sufficient. I do wish I was great at something, but I'm just glad I can do anything. Week 13: A challenge you've overcome
To be honest, I don't know if I have ever truly "overcome" my challenges. I've learned how to deal with them. I've learned to live with them. Maybe that's what overcoming them means to some, but to me, overcoming means leaving them in the past. It means whatever it is, is no longer a challenge or struggle. To me, challenges are sort of like dealing with alcoholism. It's always there, right under the surface. They don't just go away, but you can keep them under control. I guess the biggest challenge I've dealt with is my expectations of others. Occasionally, this still pokes it's head out and I get hurt, but it's so much better than it was. I've let go of my expectations of others. I still have my basic expectations, like people should be decent humans (that, alone is apparently even too high for a good portion of people), but I have let go of expectations I have had for family and friends. By letting go of my expectations, I'm much happier. I know exactly who I can and should depend on, and that's me. If I get help from others, that's just a bonus for which I'm extremely thankful. It actually sounds a bit sad, but it's really quite liberating. Like I said though, occasionally, I "fall off the wagon" and get disappointed because I think people should want to act a certain way. I can deal with getting let down by people every once in a while rather than all the time. There was a point in time where I was angry, all the time, because I had no one to depend on. Then, one day, I decided I was done being angry and the only way to fix it was to realize the only one I can depend on is myself. When I find myself thinking that someone "should" want to act a certain way, I stop, take a breathe, and realize that I can not control others' behaviors, but I can strive to be a better me and I can act the way I would like others to act. I am in charge of my own actions. I am in charge of my own happiness. |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2023
|