So what even happened these past ten years?! It's been a wild blur!
In a decade I:
Birthed two more kids
carnivals,
hot springs,
ice skated on lakes,
had tea parties,
and went to art museums
And I got to thinking some more and decided to write down some things I've learned so far in life:
Compassion for others and self is essential in all things.
You can feel peace even when you’re not happy
And you can feel joy even when life is not fun
You can't force growth. Pulling on a plant doesn’t help it grow but hurts, breaks and up roots it. What you can do is nourish it, give it sunlight and water and patience. Pull the weeds.
Don’t pridefully judge others. You will always be wrong.
People are layered and good and bad
Faith is not certainty
Gratitude heals and is full of light
Most everything in life is a privilege. Laundry, vacuuming. Grief.
If I’m feeling grumpy or irritable, I can always trace it back to something I was feeling entitled to that I am not getting. It helps me laugh at myself a bit and remember that nobody gets to have perfect days.
Hardships are mini atonements if we allow them to be.
Trials bring us closer to god, just like the wind against me on the swing.
Forgiveness is a key that unlocks the prison of pain.
Forgiveness is so often an exercise is giving to someone what they should have given to you.
Assume the best of others.
Sometimes we get hurt in relationships but the reward of being vulnerable is greater than the risk. That doesn't mean you should be reckless. Still be thoughtful in how you use your vulnerability and with whom.
Meet people where they are at. Don’t force others to be what you want them to be.
Show up.
Let people feel and think what they want.
No such thing as balance, mostly just sacrifice.
Parenting is not an explosion to build a canyon. It is more often like water over rocks, steady, consistent, over more time than you could ever imagine- even when it seems there is no progress- a beautiful canyon is being carved.
Depressed Anna doesn’t get to make life changing decisions. She does get to make small step ones.
Worry is an energy suck.
Depression is a thief
Time is a gift, not a thief.
Distractions are the thieves
It’s not about the journey or the destination, but about the company.
The deeper your pain carves into you, the greater the space you have to be filled back in with joy.
Impermanence. Enjoy what you have now, most everything will one day break or be gone.
There’s no bad weather, just bad clothing
Don’t take everything too seriously. Laughter is healing.
You find in life what you’re looking for
Empathy is not just about feeling others pains, but truly casting aside comparisons and jealousy and feeling their joy with them also
“What we’re becoming is more important than what we are doing”
God is everywhere
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course there are more things and maybe I'll come back and add a few if I think of them. But these are all things I think about a lot and have tried to live as well.
There's also a whole slew of lessons about body positivity and choosing the path of self love instead of trying to change my body to meet the standards of society. But wow that would take a whole essay to write about.
I don't even know what I am supposed to want out of the next ten years. But I know I want to focus more on serving others and growing closer to Jesus. I want to focus on being active and healthy. I want to keep my priorities straight and be the best mom and wife and Anna I can be.
So, yeah! We'll see where life takes me! Cheers to a new decade and the privilege of growing old!
No comments:
Post a Comment