Things I Love About Life Tonight

Your suspicions about how weird I am are about to be confirmed.  I'm just sitting here on my sister's couch (without pants on because pants are optional at her house) thinking about how much I love my life.  Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of voids in my life and lots of disappointing moments but there  are a few things I love.

1. I love the fact that I'm from the South.  I wanted I eat some healthy vegetables tonight and my first choice on how they should be prepared...FRIED.  If you are wondering, we don't consider fried food unhealthy.  It is simply a way to prepare food just like grilling or pan searing are food preparation methods.  
2. I love that my students know my addiction to chocolate is real.   I had a student bring me a half opened chocolate bunny.  She told me she gave it to me because she knew how much I loved chocolate.  Did I eat it?  No!   The gesture warmed my heart though.  
3. Speaking of gifts,  another student brought me a cup with dirt and grass.   It's currently sitting in my classroom window.  I'm not sure if it had any seeds or anything that is living (i.e. You know something that has roots) in it.  I guess time will tell.  
4. The fact that Pandora has a Cinco de Mayo radio station...enough said. 

I Blame It On The Weather!

That moment when you have so much you want to write and blog about and have no clue how to put it all in words.  I used to consider myself very fluent in professing my thoughts through writing.  Now, I feel as if I am unable to adequately express my thoughts or feelings verbally or in writing. 

With age, I have learned how to bridle my tongue when necessary.  (Okay…maybe not every time but I think I have shown vast improvement.)  However, I have also become more timid and no longer voice all the things I NEED to say.  Often, my thoughts and dreams stay trapped because they are mine!  They are no one else’s to criticize.  Still, I wonder how many of my unspoken thoughts have needed to be heard.

Not that today’s words need to be read or need to be said, but I have been overfilled with gratitude today.  I don’t know if it is the glorious spring weather that has brought this overwhelming feeling or if sitting in the solitude of my home has forced me to ponder.  Regardless of what brought upon this sentimental gratitude, I feel inclined to share a few of the things I am grateful for.

1.     My friends.  I have the best friends a girl could ever ask for. They have all come into my life at a perfect time and give so much to me!  They are always willing to give an encouraging word or listen to my silly rampages.  I often assume that my feelings of gratitude and love for them are implied.  Thus, I don’t verbally express how important and needed they truly are in my life.  Each of my friends meets such different needs/demands in my life. 

2.     My Self Confidence: I was an awkward little monster growing up!  It is almost painfully embarrassing to think of the horrible perms, the constantly runny nose, the garbled speech, and the lack of motor skills I had.  You can imagine that it was difficult for me to feel really great about myself.  It took a really long time but I am so glad that I have come to discover who I am.  I feel like I am truly beginning to discover what I am truly capable of doing!  Life is a crazy, scary ride for those who don’t know their place in this seemingly big world.

3.     My Family: My family is an odd little family (well, maybe not little).  Each one of my family members has their own quirks that drive the rest of us batty!   Still, I can’t imagine another group of people I’d rather learn and grow from.  They have shown me so much love and mercy throughout my life.  Each has set and example for me.   

I could go on and on about the things I am grateful for.  I know I didn’t mention several things I am thankful for.  Partially because I feel as if I have already gotten too wordy and partially because I feel like it should be implied that I am thankful for certain things.  There you have it…my incomplete Sunday ramblings.

Being a Big Fish in a Little Pond

The past few weeks I have really, I mean REALLY loved church.  The services, lessons, and songs have had significant lessons in them just for me.  However, today, I slacked off and skipped Sunday School. That's right...living on the edge.  I got to talk to one of my very favorite ladies in the ward and of course the subject of my future came up.  My future...something I've been both thinking about and putting off thinking about for a while now.

Those who know me are very aware of the fact I am turning the BIG 3-0 this year.  Am I where I thought I would be at 30? Not at all.  I'm supposed to be stay-at-home mom with lots of perfect, intellectual, kids (that never ever stink or make messes), a successful husband, and a perfectly tidy house.  Yet, here I am with none of the above likely to happen in the near future.  What my future holds...Who knows?

Anyways...back to the conversation.  I was talking about where I thought I'd be and verbally expressed how perplexed I am by the fact that I am still single.  To express my confusion about being single, I made the comment that I am a pretty good catch.  I pointed out that I was attractive, smart, educated, domestic, versatile, healthy, and able to be self sufficient.  I stated that I was pretty perfect so I didn't understand why there didn't seem to be any single men casting their hooks my way.  The lady responded...you can't be caught in a pond where there are no fishers!  How profound.

So, then the question arises: How do you get fishers to fish in the pond your swimming in? Here are my thoughts...

1. Find a new pond (i.e Long Distance Move)
1. This is a viable options for young fish.  Those fish who haven't adapted.  For older fish, this may be easier said than done.  Plus, how does one guarantee that the fishers in other ponds will provide the right kind of bait to make one want to be caught?
2. Find where all the other fish are hanging out
1. The trick to this is to find where fish similar to you are hiding out.  A fisher doesn't go fishing for trout in hope to catch a bass.  This is especially hard when you are an endangered breed of fish.  There are Singles' Wards, but that isn't a promise that the fish there will want you to be part of their school or that you would even fit in with their school.
2. The other pond would be the pond of online dating.  My sisters lovingly got me an online dating account for Christmas.  It is just a turnoff for me to meet someone online.  What happened to actually being courted?  A guy can't exactly open your car doors for you when you online dating and anyone who really knows me knows that the whole car door thing is a really, really big deal for me.
3. Enjoy being the best fish in the pond and boast about the skills and awkwardness it takes to refrain from being caught.
1. This is the safest and most comfortable option.  This seems to be the option I am happiest with.  Subconsciously this fish seems to like being unique and different.  This fish seems to purposely be avoiding being caught. Yet, "You can't grow in a comfort zone and you can't be comfortable in a growth zone."

Now that I've expressed my random and jumbled thoughts I am genuinely curious what others' thoughts are.

Sisters, Sisters

I may or may not be one of the luckiest girls in the world.  Why? Funny you should ask.  It's simple, I have been blessed with the three most unique, caring, and funny sisters in the world.  Notice, I didn't say friendly.  Sometimes they are a little too honest and bold.  I know when they are bold or harsh with me it is because they honestly know me.  They know when I am being too critical of myself, too judgmental of others, or not judgmental enough.  With that being said, I want to take a moment and tell what makes each of my sisters special to me.

Renee: Renee' is the oldest sibling in my family.  She has always been a "little mother" to us.  Renee' is nurturing.  She is the most giving and selfless individual that I have had the privilege of not only being acquainted with but to to be a recipient of her abounding love.  Renee' also developed my father's work habits.  She is a mother, a wife, a student, a real estate agent, and works a job at night.  I honestly don't know how she does it and still manages to make everyone she meets feel special and show them that she cares.  Renee' is a nurturer, a hard worker, and a true friend.

Sandra: You won't catch me writing nice things about Sandra every day.  Sandra is the sister I shared my room with growing up.  We shared our most personal secrets and desires with each other in that tiny room.  If you have earned Sandra's friendship you have earned the friendship of a most devoted person. She can be your greatest friend or your greatest enemy.  I promise you that you would much rather her be your friend.  Sandra is genuine like that.  She won't say something just because you want her to say it.  She is completely honest, even when the truth sucks.  If she does something for you, it is because she wants to, not because she feels obligated to.  She will help anyone who will help themselves.  I love Sandra's firmness and will.  She is a great example.

Charity: Charity is the optimist.  She is such a happy person.  If you have had the honor of knowing Charity for a while, you have witnessed some of the hard trials she has had to overcome and she always does so with a smile on her face.  She has a way of taking the most horrible experiences and finding something positive in them.  Charity is radiant and not afraid to let herself shine.  Charity is one of my most trusted friends.  She has taught me how truly love others and not be afraid to smile.  She has let me know that sometimes it is okay to allow myself to be vulnerable and overcome my fear of expressing myself.  She is five years younger than me and has still found ways to teach me and help me grow.  If you haven't experienced the light that beams from Charity, you are missing out on something special.

These three ladies are truly my best friends and have too many amazing characteristics to write about. I love them each and I am grateful that each is willing to let me be in their life and are teaching me to be a better lady by example.